Japan's Hatoyama cabinet resigns en masse before launch of new gov't

Japan's Hatoyama cabinet resigned en masse Friday, paving the way for the launch of a new government scheduled later in the day.

The collective move came two days after Hatoyama announced his resignation as premier and the executives of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), including DPJ President Hatoyama, Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa and DPJ policy research committee chairman Masayuki Naoshima, resigned en masse.

The DPJ began the process of accepting candidacies for the party leadership election at 9 a.m., and will hold a general meeting of DPJ Diet members from 11 a.m. to choose a new leader, who will succeed Hatoyama as prime minister.

Hatoyama announced Wednesday his decision to resign in a general assembly of the ruling DPJ lawmakers just eight months after going into office.

Plunging approval ratings caused by his bungled handling of a plan to relocate a U.S. marine base in Okinawa and political funding scandals involving both him and his deputy Ichiro Ozawa left the DPJ little choice but to find a new leader as the public and his peers had clearly lost faith in him.

Source: Xinhua