In his year as prime minister, Yoshiro Mori caused public disillusionment with the Liberal Democratic Party through his gaffes and incompetence. The LDP's presidential election Tuesday, in which former Health and Welfare Minister Junichiro Koizumi beat former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto by a wide margin, was an opportunity for the LDP to publicize its renewal by replacing Mori as its president and the nation's prime minister. The election was moved forward to prevent the disastrous setback it was widely predicted the LDP would suffer in the July Upper House election.
Mori replaced Keizo Obuchi as LDP president and prime minister as the result of a secret deal worked out by four LDP heavyweights who are members of Keiseikai, the largest LDP faction. Obuchi also belonged to that group, now known as the Hashimoto faction.
As prime minister, Mori lacked sound judgment and decision-making power. Public-approval ratings of his Cabinet, which initially were around 70 percent, plunged below 10 percent in the final days of his administration.
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