Bowing Out

Suzuki ends a lackluster term

When Zenko Suzuki, 71, became Prime Minister of Japan 2 1/4 years ago, he confidently pledged to reduce the government bureaucracy, eliminate the budget deficit and promote a "politics of harmony." But Suzuki never made good on any of those promises. Faced with declining public support and growing dis content within his Liberal Democratic Party (L.D.P.), Suzuki told his advisers last week that he would not seek the nomi nation for the party presidency at its Oct. 16 meeting, thereby effectively resigning as Prime Minister. Said he:"I consider it my last service as party president to imbue our party with fresh vitality."

The sudden announcement was greeted in Japan with a combination of surprise and relief. According to a poll published last month, popular approval for Suzuki had slipped to less than 30%, the lowest level since his inauguration. Among the 52% who disapproved of Suzuki's performance, the reason most often given was his "lack of doing anything of note."

Suzuki's efforts to restore vigor to the stalled Japanese economy backfired. His plan to end the practice of issuing government bonds to help finance the budget was abandoned after lagging exports and the world recession helped swell the 1982 deficit to $40.1 billion. At the same time, Suzuki's attempts to hold down spending stirred the wrath of the country's largest labor federation. Said a diplomat in Tokyo: "Suzuki simply couldn't deliver."

The man considered to have the best chance of succeeding Suzuki is Yasuhiro Nakasone, 64, former head of the Defense Agency and present director general of the Administrative Management Agency. Two weeks ago Nakasone publicly committed his faction of the party to support Suzuki's reelection. Japanese observers speculate that Nakasone knew in advance that Suzuki was resigning and announced his support mainly to help win the blessing of Suzuki's major backer, former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.

At week's end, Suzuki and party officials had failed to agree on a single candidate but still hoped to do so in the next few days. That would allow the party to avoid a national referendum, in which candidates must mount a costly campaign and expose party policies to public debate. Nevertheless, whoever becomes the new Prime Minister will inherit not only Suzuki's job, but most of the problems that he pledged to solve.

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