Secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Yoshi Mori emerged as a leading successor to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. (Katsumi Kasahara - AP) _____ On the Web _____ • Liberal Democratic Party of Japan • The career of Yoshi Mori • Profile of Keizo Obuchi • Official website of Japanese Prime Minister E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version

By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, April 4, 2000; 12:43 PM

TOKYO, April 4 – With their leader in a coma, the cabinet of Keizo Obuchi dissolved itself today to make way for Yoshiro Mori to succeed the stricken prime minister.

Mori, 62, a party loyalist and lieutenant to Obuchi, is expected to be chosen by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Wednesday morning, and elected by the two houses of the Japanese Diet Wednesday afternoon.

"We need to do this as soon as possible to avoid a political vacuum," said a solemn and drawn acting premier, Mikio Aoki. He said Obuchi's wife, Chizuko, had given her blessing to the move at the hospital where her husband has been since Sunday.

Mori was expected to quickly reappoint the members of the Obuchi cabinet, and continue current domestic and foreign policies. Since the political direction in Japan usually is set by consensus and the Liberal Democrats remain in power, analysts anticipate little immediate change.

Eventually, however, Mori may put his own imprint on that consensus. Although the market remained steady in Japan, economic analysts say the change of premiers might allow the government to begin to scale back the huge public spending that has produced record deficits.

"It's very unfortunate that Mr. Obuchi left his position before the results of his work had surfaced," Aoki said, asked about the legacy of the prime minister's 21 months in office.

Obuchi's advisers felt the government's public spending finally is helping bring Japan's economy out of a recession. They also point to the resumption of talks with North Korea and Russia as laudable accomplishments of the Obuchi government, as well as Obuchi's personal decision to hold the next Group of Eight summit of the major industrialized countries plus Russia in Okinawa.

In private meetings last night and today, political leaders planned the sequence for Obuchi's replacement. Because he is in a coma and unable to resign, Obuchi's entire cabinet had to submit their resignations tonight.

Mori's election as head of the Liberal Democrats apparently was assured in meetings between faction leaders for the other candidates, including Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Finance Minister and former prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa.

Mori, who as secretary general is now the No. 2 ranked official of the Liberal Democrats, also won the endorsement of the smaller parties that form the coalition, which includes the Buddhist-backed New Komeito, and the Conservative Party, a new group of 26 lawmakers formed on Monday.

The Liberal Democrats' nominee is assured election when the Diet meets Wednesday afternoon because the party has a majority of votes in the key lower House of Representatives and – with its coalition members – controls the less-powerful upper House of Councillors.

The term of the lower house members expires Oct. 19, and Mori must decide when – or if – to call an election before then. Political strategists said he may wait until the last moment in order to get comfortable in the premiership, or he may call a quick election to try to capitalize on the sympathy for Obuchi.

The opposition Democratic Party has demanded that an election be held promptly.

Obuchi was taken to the hospital at 1 a.m. Sunday, and diagnosed that afternoon as having suffered a stroke. His condition apparently worsened, however, and about 9:50 p.m. Sunday Obuchi was placed in intensive care and on life support equipment. Aoki said today his condition is unchanged. He denied a report in the Japanese media that Obuchi is "brain dead."

But Aoki said he met with Obuchi's doctors today and was told the prime minister is not expected to recover soon.

"It's difficult for the prime minister to understand, and convey his will," Aoki said. Japan's constitution permits a prime minister to be replaced "in the absence" of a premier. "We decided that since the prime minister is unconscious and we do not expect him to recover in the very near future, this can be considered an absence," Aoki said.

Special correspondents Shigehiko Togo and Akikio Yamamoto contributed to this story in Tokyo.