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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 06, 2003

Following Public Opinion Sometimes Mistake: Koizumi

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday that following public opinion can sometimes be a mistake in politics, referring to growing domestic opposition to an attack on Iraq.


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Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday that following public opinion can sometimes be a mistake in politics, referring to growing domestic opposition to an attack on Iraq.

"Sometimes, public opinion is right. But if I engage in politics simply by following it, it could be a mistake," Koizumi told a parliamentary session while debating recent media polls that suggest 70% to 80% of Japanese people are opposed to a U.S.-led war on Iraq.

Koizumi did not suggest that he would automatically support a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq by ignoring public opposition in the House of Councillors Budget Committee session.

Yukio Edano, a leading member of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, criticized his remarks.

Speaking to reporters, Edano urged Koizumi, who used to have approval ratings topping 80%, to remember he is not supported by colleagues in his Liberal Democratic Party but by the public.

Later in the day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda defended Koizumi's remarks.

"Sometimes we cannot do what people want us to do'' but such decisions can bring about better-than-expected results, Fukuda told reporters. Koizumi ''just talked generally about the idea," he said.

Koizumi's approval ratings have plummeted in the past months to below 50% because he has shown little success in fixing the economy and living up to his promises. The figure is expected to fall further if he announces support for a war on Iraq.

Source: Agencies








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