Japan’s finance minister quits post

Agence France-Presse

Shoichi Nakagawa, a close ally of unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso, was incoherent and slurred his speech at a news conference on Saturday after the Group of Seven talks in Rome, prompting calls for his sacking.

"I caused a lot of trouble due to my drinking. Considering my condition, I'm not in a mood to drink alcohol right now. There are many things I have to reflect on," Nakagawa told reporters after stepping down.

He said earlier he had sipped some wine with lunch but blamed jet lag and cold medicine for his drowsiness. Nakagawa, 55, said he would voluntarily check into hospital to rest after being diagnosed with a cold and fatigue. The debacle could hardly have come at a worse time for Aso, whose popularity had already slumped below 10 percent according to one poll, battered by concerns over his handling of the economy and repeated gaffes. "The resignation will have an enormous impact on the Aso cabinet," said Susumu Takahashi, a professor of politics at the University of Tokyo. "The cabinet's days are numbered. The focus has shifted to who will succeed Aso," he said.

Nakagawa initially said he would leave the post after key budget bills clear parliament, expected in the coming weeks. But the pressure for him to go was too great and hours later he had submitted his immediate resignation, forcing Aso to change finance ministers in the midst of a deepening recession in Asia's biggest economy. "He has been doing a good job as finance minister," Aso said. "I thought I had picked an excellent person, but I feel responsibility for the appointment considering everything, including his health."

The premier said he had chosen economics minister Kaoru Yosano, a free-market advocate, to take the additional post.

Nakagawa has made no secret about his fondness for drinking, telling reporters on Monday: "I think I can hold quite a bit" of alcohol.

The Fuji tabloid quoted the minister as saying in an interview that he had downed three or four gin and tonics on the plane to Rome, followed by two glasses of wine on Friday and more gins afterwards. The opposition submitted a censure motion against Nakagawa, while even some fellow cabinet members openly criticized the minister.

"Looking after one's own health is part of the responsibility of a politician," health minister Yoichi Masuzoe said.

Television footage of the press conference was shown on the national news on the same day that official data showed Monday that Japan's economy shrank at the fastest pace in almost 35 years in the last quarter of 2008.