TOKYO — Taro Aso, who was elected Monday to head Japan’s ruling party and stood on the brink of becoming prime minister, has a reputation for being just about everything his predecessor wasn’t. He is charming, charismatic and brimming with confidence.
One thing remains the same, however.
When Aso is sworn in as Japan’s prime minister this week — a virtual certainty because his party controls the lower house of parliament — he will inherit a government racked by scandals, paralyzed by gridlock and divided over how to deal with economic instability.
Aso won a landslide victory in an election within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to replace Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who announced three weeks ago that he was quitting because he was unable to deal with a stalemate in parliament. He also gave up his post as party leader.
“I am proud to be able to stand at the forefront of our battle,” Aso, smiling broadly, said in his acceptance speech.
Barring last-minute defections, Aso is assured of winning a parliament vote Wednesday to choose Fukuda’s successor because the Liberal Democrats control the lower chamber, which has the final say in the matter.
Fukuda, a dour, enigmatic figure who never seemed happy in his post and suffered from dismal public support ratings, was the second Japanese prime minister to resign in just over a year, sending the Liberal Democrats into a leadership crisis.
The 68-year-old Aso, a former foreign minister and party No. 2, rose quickly in his fourth try for the party’s top post and will bring a sharply different style to the government help.
Aso has a reputation as a fighter who often gets in trouble for his off-the-cuff remarks. He smiles easily and always looks on the verge of issuing a wisecrack from the side of his mouth.
He has indicated he will emphasize economic policy as prime minister. He has warned that Japan must shore up its economy to protect against fallout from the financial crisis in the United States and must carry out reforms to deal with shrinking tax revenues caused by the rapid aging of its people.
Japan’s population is one of the fastest-graying in the world and a larger number of old people means the country can expect to spend more on pensions and health care, while drawing less money in taxes from a smaller pool of younger workers.
“The economic situation is getting tough, everyone can see that,” Aso told reporters after the vote. “The biggest mission given to me is to resolve this.”
But some Japanese officials are now seriously worried about a possible recession because of emerging risks largely outside Japan’s control.
