Japan's PM suffers stroke, replacement announced

Mikio Aoki was named Japan's acting prime minister, Monday

April 3, 2000
Web posted at: 10:56 a.m. HKT (0256 GMT)

TOKYO (CNN) -- Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has suffered a stroke and is in intensive care in a Tokyo hospital.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki was appointed caretaker prime minister with immediate effect.

Obuchi was hospitalized early Sunday after complaining of fatigue.

Aoki, who has held several senior posts in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and announced the news at a press conference Monday.

"Obuchi said we could not have any delay in our measures to cope with the volcanic eruption so he appointed me as acting prime minister," Aoki said.

VIDEO Tokyo Bureau Chief Marina Kamimura reports on the hospitalization of Japan's Prime Minister Obuchi. QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     RESOURCES Asiaweek: Electoral winds hit Japan TIME Asia: Japan: Getting Away With It Asiaweek: Japan: No Confidence

Obuchi's hospitalization, if prolonged, would jolt the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, complicating its prospects for a Lower House election that must be held by October.

His illness is expected to have little immediate impact, however, on a spending program to accelerate the long-stagnant economy.

Obuchi has over the past few days had to deal with a major volcanic eruption and the breakup of his ruling three-party coalition. Last weekend, he traveled to southern Japan to inspect preparations for the G-8 summit in July.

Senior ruling party officials met Sunday to discuss the situation.

NHK, Japan's state-run TV network, reported that Obuchi has a chronic heart condition, but said it was not known if that was related to his current hospitalization. The broadcaster also reported Obuchi may have had a stroke, but could not confirm this information.

Although Obuchi's ruling coalition has split up, his Liberal Democratic Party remains the strongest in Parliament, and its hold on power is not in question.

Obuchi became prime minister in July 1995, and many analysts believed he would not last long.

But in his first year, he jumpstarted the economy, consolidated his party's dominant position in Parliament and championed legislation strengthening Japan's regional security role and giving official status to the Rising Sun flag.

His fortunes have sagged recently, however, with polls finding that support for his Cabinet is declining.

A graduate of Tokyo's prestigious Waseda University, Obuchi won election to Japan's powerful lower house of Parliament in 1963 at the age of 26 -- inheriting, in common Japanese fashion, the seat held by his father.

He first served as a Cabinet official in 1979, and in 1993 became the Liberal Democratic Party's secretary-general, one of three key party posts. A year later Obuchi took control of the biggest of several rival factions in the LDP, succeeding former Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita.

He was foreign minister in 1997.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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