Arab News Japan

Tokyo: Following the announcement Friday by Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest serving prime minister, that he is stepping down due to health reasons, a number of political and business leaders reacted publicly to the news, with many stressing the need for Japan to avoid a power vacuum amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yukio Edano, said he was deeply shocked to hear the news and that even though his views differ widely from Abe’s, he imagines Abe must be very sorry to step down due to a health problem. He stressed that Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party must fulfill its responsibilities to minimize the impact of a power vacuum, with Japan gripped by the virus outbreak and its severe economic consequences.

Yuichiro Tamki, the leader of the Democratic Party of the People, emphasized the need for Abe to focus on his treatment. He also said the government should continue with its policies of tackling the coronavirus.

The leader of the Japanese Communist Party, Kazuo Shii, also expressed the need to avoid a power vacuum and delays in the government’s response to the pandemic, adding that the diet must be convened swiftly to appoint a successor with the proper debate.

Meanwhile Ichiro Matsui, the party leader of Nippon Ishin, remarked that Abe’s decision came as a surprise and expressed his gratitude that his party had been able to work with Abe whenever possible to improve and expand public services.

Business leaders also commented on the news, with Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, giving credit to Abe’s leadership and stressing that Japan is facing important issues like the need to review its economic policy and deal with the pandemic. 

In addition, Suntory Holdings President Takeshi Niinami, also a member of the government’s Council of Economic and Fiscal Policy, noted that the country’s GDP has fallen into negative territory and that industry is facing severe conditions amid the pandemic. He said he hopes that the next prime minister will carry out deregulation, structural reform and the support of those in need.

Other prominent figures in Japanese politics also raised specific issues following Abe’s announcement. Besides wishing Abe a speedy recover, the governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, expressed the hope that construction of a relocated US base in his prefecture be suspended and that there be dialogue about the issue.

Also Akihiro Arimoto, the father of a woman abducted to North Korea, commented that he was astonished by Abe’s resignation and that he felt the prime minister was leaving too soon. Shigeo Iizuka, whose sister was abducted, said he hopes that Abe’s successor will bring back all the victims not yet returned home.