Former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi accuses Shinzo Abe of ‘railroading everything’
Criticism of successor is considered an unprecedented breach of political protocols but it will resonate with many who feel Abe’s government has grown too narrow in its appeal.
Junichiro Koizumi, the former Japanese prime minister, has launched an unprecedented attack on Shinzo Abe, accusing the present Japanese leader of “railroading” policies past the public, of not even trying to accommodate the opinions of opposition parties and of exercising such power over his own politicians that they have become little more than “yes-men”.
Koizumi, whose 1,979 days in office from April 2001 made him the most long-serving Japanese leader since the 1970s, gave vent to his frustrations over the prime minister in the most recent edition of the Bungeishunju monthly magazine, which was issued on Thursday.
Pulling no punches, Koizumi claimed Abe is “railroading everything”.
“He always gets things done through force and appears to be in a rush,” Koizumi said.
He always gets things done through force and appears to be in a rush
Pointing to the way in which the government had forced through controversial national security bills in September, despite large public demonstrations against the legislation and condemnation of the move by opposition politicians, Koizumi said he would have delayed enactment of the bills until the following Diet session.