Abysmal performance Hashimoto's 1997 decision as prime minister to raise taxes and cut spending was widely blamed for tipping the economy into recession, setting the stage for an abysmal LDP performance in a 1998 Upper House election, a defeat that forced him to resign. Aware of this, Hashimoto has taken great pains to appear contrite since tossing his hat into the ring, saying his experience of adversity has made him stronger. And I hope I can put to work the experiences gained from this failure. There is much left to be done. Koizumi, who had rattled some in the three-party coalition by saying last week that he would not rule out cooperating with the opposition, held out an olive branch to his coalition partners by stressing that their participation is essential.
Policies are the most important thing.
The LDP's 346 lawmakers will cast their ballots on April 24 with an additional 141 votes coming from the LDP chapters. But Hashimoto could gain a crucial edge due not only to his faction's strength but its influence, which enables it to promise future favors in return for support. As well as his own faction, Hashimoto can expect the 43 members of another to fall in behind him. Koizumi can expect support from three factions, whose members total 98, plus a large portion of the 141 local chapter votes. Reuters contributed to this report.