Tensions escalating despite Rengo-brokered talks
The latest attempt to repair the rift in the Democratic Party of Japan failed Saturday as a meeting brokered by Rengo made no progress over how to address Ichiro Ozawa's money scandal, participants said.
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| Powwow: Ichiro Ozawa walks into a Tokyo hotel Saturday morning for a meeting with Prime Minister Naoto Kan. KYODO PHOTO |
Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Ozawa didn't even exchange words during the talks, which lasted about an hour.
The meeting at a Tokyo hotel was chaired by Nobuaki Koga, president of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), the DPJ's single most important source of support.
Other party heavyweights, including Secretary General Katsuya Okada, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and Azuma Koshiishi, head of the party's Upper House caucus, also took part.
Hatoyama and Koshiishi are close Ozawa allies and both have voiced objections to summoning him to the Diet to testify about the actions of his political funds management body.
With the power struggle within the DPJ intensifying in recent weeks, Rengo called for both men to meet again amid escalating tensions between pro- and anti-Ozawa lawmakers.
"The ruling party is giving the people of this country the impression that it lacks unity, and I'd like to say that the crack in the party should not become deeper," Koga said earlier.
With its main supporter unable to mediate a reconciliation, the DPJ's internal rift appears even more difficult to repair, making the worst-case scenario of a party breakup more realistic.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Okada said Ozawa sounded more cooperative than before in terms of pursuing party unity.
Ozawa reportedly softened his stance on the party's current leadership, which he has sharply criticized, and instead emphasized the need for unity.
Ozawa was quoted by Okada as saying the DPJ "must unite under Kan as the party gears up for the ordinary Diet session next year and a series of local elections."
He was "apologetic about the fact that the DPJ hasn't lived up to people's expectations," Okada said, adding that his apology was also about the money scandal.
Neither Kan nor Okada brought up a specific request for Ozawa to testify before the Diet, Okada said, contrary to earlier expectations by the media.
On Friday, Okada told reporters he would take a "no-compromise approach" to Ozawa.
According to participants, Hatoyama was the only one who made any remarks about the testimony issue.
He was quoted as saying, "Mr. Ozawa was the driving force behind (last year's) change of power. We need wisdom to overcome (the issue of) the ethics panel," expressing again his opposition to having Ozawa testify before the Diet panel.
As to a possible split, Kan said during a group interview with major media outlets Friday that he is certain the DPJ will not break up over the Ozawa scandal.
Kan met with Ozawa last Monday for about 90 minutes but failed to persuade him to appear before the Lower House ethics panel.
Ozawa, a former head of the DPJ, has repeatedly refused to explain in the Diet the allegations, saying he will prove his innocence in court.
Okada has said the party will try to formally decide on its stance regarding the steps to be taken over the scandal at an executive meeting Monday.
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