The two non-Cabinet allies of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party agreed Sept. 16 to demand the resignation of Koko Sato, who was appointed head of the Management and Coordination Agency last week even though he was convicted in the 1970s Lockheed bribery scandal.
The Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake did not make it clear whether they will remain LDP allies if Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, the president of the LDP, fails to meet their request. However, SDP leader Takako Doi said during a meeting of party members earlier in the day, "This is an important issue that will affect the party's future," implying that the party could end the alliance with the LDP.
Doi is especially displeased with Sato's appointment because when Hashimoto talked to her before he reshuffled his Cabinet on Sept. 11, she said the lineup must gain the public's trust, indicating that Sato should not be given a position on the Cabinet, which, in a recent news agency survey has only 28 percent of the respondents' support. The previous Cabinet had a 50 percent acceptance rating at its inauguration in November, according to the same agency.
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