Tokyo, June 04: Mr. Kan came into politics from the civil liberties movement and made a name for himself in 1996 when, as health minister, he led a campaign to bring a scandal over HIV-tainted blood products to light.
Naoto Kan was chosen as Japan’s next prime minister by parliament Friday after he won an overwhelming victory in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan’s presidential election. Emperor Akihito is to appoint Kan Japan’s 94th premier later Friday.
Mr. Kan served as finance minister and deputy prime minister in outgoing Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s cabinet.
The Diet’s vote came soon after Mr. Hatoyama and his cabinet stepped down Friday morning.
Mr. Hatoyama announced his resignation Wednesday, eight months after taking office, as calls for him to go grew within his Democratic Party of Japan ahead of an upper house election in July.
He had seen his public approval ratings plummet. His flip-flop on a promise to locate a US military base off the island of Okinawa helped erode his popularity, analysts said.
—-Agencies