Japan's PM to remain in hospital 'indefinitely'

Ailing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will remain in hospital indefinitely with stress-related stomach problems, but the government has no plans to name an acting premier, an official said today.

Meanwhile, leaders of Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Democratic Party agreed to hold an election in parliament on September 25 to name his replacement as prime minister, although this has still to be formally approved.

Two LDP candidates are vying to replace Abe, who abruptly announced he was resigning last Wednesday.

Abe was taken to hospital the following day for exhaustion and stress-related stomach problems.

The stay was initially expected to last for three to four days, but Abe reportedly has not made any progress towards recovery.

“Of course, our hope is that he can be discharged soon, but the doctors must make the ultimate judgment on his illness,” top government spokesman Kaoru Yosano told reporters this morning.

The government has no plans to appoint an acting prime minister, Yosano said.

As chief cabinet secretary, Yosano has taken over many of Abe’s day-to-day responsibilities.

Yasuo Fukuda, a veteran moderate widely considered the front-runner, and the more hawkish former Foreign Minister Taro Aso are the only candidates in a September 23 race to replace Abe as chief of the ruling party.

Aso has acknowledged his underdog status, but has vowed to stay in the race.

“I must stick this out to the end, or it will not be good for the LDP, and it will not be good for Japan,” Aso told reporters.

The new leader of the LDP is ensured election as prime minister because of the party’s majority in the lower house of parliament.

Meanwhile, the opposition DPJ agreed this morning to an LDP proposal that the election for prime minister be held in parliament on September 25, DPJ official Hidenori Nakayama said.

A formal decision on the date is likely to be made on Thursday or Friday in the steering committees of both houses of parliament, Nakayama added.