5 candidates for PM promise to resolve nuclear crisis, revive economy

Whoever won the flavorable' from Mr Ozawa shall be the next prime minister of Japan! Dont count on too much over polls, thats unuseful! Mr Ozawa, the Kingmaker of Japnese politics!

Who cares Ozawa picks the PM... it's not anyone else's choice if they want to keep their jobs.

The language I want to use...at this time. Glad I'm out sorry I left, Who ever is PM can not change anything, corruption and incompetence Ozawa as icing on the cake...could be a wonderful country but not now.

What else would they promise? It is not like any of them will be honest enough to say the truth.

Would they promise not to? Make way for the 15th prime minister in 16 years.

Maehara, 49, was initially considered the favorite until Kaieda won Ozawa’s backing..........Many people in Japan will appreciatse Mr Ozawa's right choice! Sorry Mr Maehara, you are just too 'untrustworthy' you takes 590000yen from foreigners, you are 'despicable'!

Ozawa remains a powerful shadow shogun.................His influences much alike those godfather power in 'Yakuza movies'!

Of course they do... Whatever.

If a politician promised to screw up the economy even more, they might get more votes for honesty. I predict whoever gets in will only do worse than Kan.

I'm glad I don't have the voting rights...:)

Japan—which is set to see its sixth prime minister in five years—has fumbled recently to find leadership to tackle formidable challenges,

Talk about the under-statement of the century. Japan is void of leadership at present and shows no potential to change that direction for possibly a decade or more -- until all the Ozawa's and the Hatoyama's fade into history. And Cricky, understand your sentiment --

Glad I'm out sorry I left, --

Miss my friends and colleagues, but I'm not at all sorry I left when I read articles like this. Japan's elevevator is falling fast.

Do this all in 6 months before the next crop of officials declare them incapable then another PM then another... It's a self-fulfilling impossibility to do anything in such a short time. Even elections effectively become meaningless.

Most elected officials need more than a year to figure it all out just to get started. Most democracies on the planet have their governments last in the years, not months. Kan was on the right track at least.

Given the financial situation in Japan as well, I wouldn't be surprised if S&P/Moody's downgraded Japan even further than the recent downgrade, a continual sign of no confidence in the country's ability to meet its obligations.

There is a way out, but it involves making decisions and having a government last at least 4 yours. Such a comment however is about as alien to Japan as the rest of the world is to Japan.

Why contribute to a country that it basically waiting for even more disasters and then to ignore them as well? If not to come together as a nation in the reality of dealing with Fukushima, then when??? In a world of opportunity and optimism this is widely pessimistic. But months of inaction and without change only become the proof.

I feel sad for my friends. Any one of which are better than these "choices".

-Any of the candidates have a background working in feng shui ?

You would have to love it if it weren't so sad: each of them is promising if you elect them they'll end the nuclear crisis and fix the economy... but did they say how? Nah... because it's yet more ludicrous promises from moronic politicians. How can they possibly stand up straight, look people in the eye, and make these promises?

Japan definitely does not have a bright future in the near future at all.

Well said smithinjapan, however Japan will pull through all this. Only one or two million people will die from radiation related illnesses. Out of a population of 120 million, we can absorb these medical cost by increasing taxes, lowering pensions and privatising healthcare. Apart from Maehara who didn't answer any questions on the 5 candidate debate on tv tonight, any of the others will continue towing the line of 9-month tag prime minister. Predictability is stability. Maehara will invade china.

Promises, promises, promises. What a load of shameless, disingenous cretins.

What have these five jokers been doing for the last five months? Why have all these new ideas just surfaced now?

Could they not have leant their expertise to PM Kan to resolve the nuclear crisis and revive the economy before? Instead of spending the country's time and money stabbing him in the back...

has fumbled recently to find leadership to tackle formidable challenges,

CHARGE!!!!

Asagao: "Maehara will invade china."

Aside from this last little tidbit your comment is not far off the money.

Asago-Maehara will invade china.

He is not that stupid. He and US will CONTAIN China. .

A debate Sunday among the candidates was not carried live on any of the major TV networks. Some lawmakers are extremely afraid of Mr Ozawa’s almost dictatorial power

Japan is closing a curtain to democracy. Sayonara Democracy. The show of distatorship will start... Stay tuned.

@globalwatcher

Japan is a corporate oligarchy. What "democracy" were you talking about?

@sf2k, you are right, Japan never had democracy.

It will not help if Prime Minister Naoto Kan resigns, it takes all parties to issue a resolution for the Prime Minister to enforce, it is the fault of all Parties who are elected in office for not submitting a bill or writing to chambers to order the Electric company to Pay damages for all Losses and Compensation to each party involved in the radiation leak, it is for government to make sure that all this money is paid, their should also Be workers compensation paid to each person who lost their Job and is not working, there should be an Immediate housing project started for the families in shelters now. It was the fault of the Power company for this catastrophe and the Government involvement to have made sure the citizens were safe.

Prime Minister when it is those law makers who are fighting between themselves because each party wants to take over making the sitting law makers demonizing the system, these people are suppose to be working for the people not for person gins which is what I ongoing now, Prime Minister should not resign and should pull back that resignation at this time and move forward in clearing house because they cannot work together for the People.

Ozawa speaks for the people of Japan and I for one, feel he is doing a great job.

Do you all realize what the International community is thinking of Japan at this point? They are laughing in disgust Imagine if we cannot keep a Prime Minister for longer then One (1 Year) what do you think this is saying! This is repulsive! It is showing a deformed Government, it is showing Law Makers cannot compromise, it is showing Corruption in Government, as they Laugh another Prime Minister out of Office, What does that say to each of us? My Person Opinion is, every Last party should be replaced and when the new ones are voted in there should be rules set, no person can be elected in Government if they are related to the one coming out and no person can run for a post for an amount of 20 years once they have left office and no family member of the leaving official is allowed to have his/her name upon any ballot, this is the only way to rid out country of all Criminal activity! * Think Tank N.Y.C.

Asago, Only one or two million people will die from radiation related illnesses. Out of a population of 120 million,

ONLY??? Very insulting.

That's a hell of lot. Hope you are not talking about a cow here. Unlike China, every life is worth more than a billion yen/$$$.

Ozawa currently has no power in the DPJ - he only is supported by just under half the party, who have been excluded as a group from government while Kan has dismantled the DPJ manifesto and broken electoral promises.

The fact is that Ozawa isn't even putting forward a single candidate, he has said himself that he thinks it will suck to be PM over the next year. People obsess over Ozawa without really understanding anything about him, or how politics here works.

JT Posters obsess over Ozawa without really understanding anything about him, or how politics here works.

FTFY.

And have an unrequited love affair with ira-ira Kan. If you're referring to posters on JT, thank goodness the vast majority of them they don't have suffrage. Otherwise they'd base their votes on third-party innuendo and whether someone looks like a "potato face".

This is so ridiculous. Another bunch of politicians making impossible claims, and one of them will then be another micky mouse PM for half a year or so.

As far as this bunch goes, Kan will actually go down as one of the most credible and competent ones so far.