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Battle lines drawn for Japan's new prime minister

The battle lines have been drawn in the race to be Japan's next Prime Minister.

Peter Martin reprots that the four declared candidates have been outlining their policies.

The favourite within Japan's ruling party, former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimto has begun his campaign by apologising for his previous Prime Ministership. He says his action in pushing up the rate of Japan's consumption tax in the late 1990's helped bring on Japan's recession. The favourite with the wider public, deregulationist Junichiro Koizumi says he wants to cut the size of Japan's government. The chairman of the party's Policy Research Council Shizuka Kamei says he wants to boost the size of government and cut taxes, and the outsider Taro Aso, who's related to two former Prime Ministers, says he'll manage responsibily. The party elects its new leader in twelve days time.

12/04/01 23:45:54 | ABC Radio Australia News

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