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Japan's trade minister

to run for LDP

leadership

TOKYO: Japanese politics heated up on Monday when trade minister Ryutaro Hashimoto declared he would run for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the senior partner in the country's ruling coalition.

Hashimoto, a rising political star known for resolving a car trade dispute with the United States, will be up against Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, the current LDP president, in an election on September 22 to decide the party's leadership.

The winner of the contest is considered the frontrunner to be Japan's next prime minister if Tomiichi Murayama's three-party coalition falls apart or if a general election is called before the next one is due in mid-1997.

"I have decided to declare my candidacy for the LDP election to be held next month," Hashimoto told a news conference.

Political analysts believe Hashimoto, riding a wave of popular support after managing to reach an agreement in the heated dispute on car trade with the United States in June, has strong support among LDP conservatives.

Kono, LDP president for the past two years, has the support of many of the party's liberals.

Hashimoto, 57, has been trade minister since the coalition, an unwieldy alliance of the LDP, Murayama's Socialists and the small Sakigake party, came to power 14 months ago.

During most of that time Hashimoto has rarely been off the front pages as Japan and the United States have battled over market access.-Reuter