April 4, 2000
With Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on a life-support system, his place in politics has become irrelevant in the harsh
world of Nagatacho.
In fact, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has wasted no time in moving to let party Secretary-General Yoshiro Mori
take over.
The government and the LDP were to decide as early as this afternoon to have the Cabinet resign en masse. Mori will most
likely be selected to replace Obuchi. In addition, the LDP is almost certain to pick Hiromu Nonaka to take Mori's place
as party secretary-general.
A meeting of LDP lawmakers-instead of a party convention-will be held in a day or two to officially select Mori as party
president, a post Obuchi also holds.
The Mori Cabinet is expected to be inaugurated this week, starting a new three-party coalition that inherits a host of
problems.
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