Kan says he intends to stay in power for long time

Saturday 08th January, 07:12 AM JST

TOKYO —

Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed resolve Friday to remain in power as long as possible, despite a recent plunge in his popularity. Kan said during a live Internet program that a self-made politician such as himself will not give up his job easily like his predecessors.

‘‘Now I’ve come to understand somehow why past prime ministers decided to resign,’’ Kan said after a long pause, when asked about what he has learned after being in office since June.

‘‘You try hard but you start feeling people don’t recognize that. You find yourself not communicating many of your thoughts to others and feel down, thinking you can’t go on any longer,’’ Kan said.

‘‘But I won’t quit even if I feel down. I’ll go all the way as I could say I’m a bit of a political anomaly,’’ he said, making reference to being Japan’s first leader in years not born into a blue-blood political family.

Kan also said that he will continue to serve as prime minister until he opens ‘‘new horizons’’ in fiscal reconstruction, social security and diplomacy.

Kan, the fifth prime minister since 2006, made the remarks at a time when he is struggling with falling approval ratings for his cabinet.

He appeared on a live Internet program for the first time as a Japanese prime minister.

During the program on videonews.com, which lasted for more than an hour, Kan also said that he will review some of his Democratic Party of Japan’s key policy pledges for the House of Representatives election in August 2009, partly because of fiscal constraints.

‘‘One and a half years have passed since the change of government. So at least by the halfway mark of two years (in September 2011) I want to do that,’’ he said.