Yukio Hatoyama, soon to become the new Japanese prime minister, says he supports the Tokyo Olympic bid. (Getty Images)(ATR) Just a month before the IOC votes on a host for the 2016 Olympics, a new prime minister will speak for Japan and the Tokyo bid after a national election victory by the Democratic Party of Japan.
Yukio Hatoyama, 62, leader of the Democrats, is in line to take over as Prime Minister from Taro Aso of the Liberal Democratic Party. Aso led the LDP to its first fall from power in 50 years.
“I must accept responsibility” Aso said about the defeat, resigning as party leader.
Aso, 68, was an Olympian in shooting at the 1976 Games in Montreal. He has had limited public involvement in the bid, but has been a staunch supporter. He met with the IOC Evaluation Commission in April when the group stopped in Tokyo.
Based on comments made earlier this month to a group of foreign press, Hatoyama is also a supporter of the Tokyo bid.
"I want to see Tokyo get the 2016 Olympics, after London, and we shall make it a games of sports, peace and the environment," Hatoyama said.
Hatoyama comes from a Japanese political family; his grandfather served as prime minister.
Tokyo 2016 CEO and chair Dr. Ichiro Kono says the outcome of the Aug. 30 national election won’t affect the bid.
"As Ex-prime minister Taro Aso in April when he met with the IOC Evaluation Commission. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)we have laid out clearly in our Candidature File, Tokyo 2016 is backed by an enthusiastic cross-party parliamentary group with members from both Japan's newly elected ruling party, the DPJ, as well as the LDP,” says a statement from Kono.
“We are confident that the IOC fully understands that our bid has the strong backing of Japan's political leadership,” he says.
Hatoyama, once confirmed by the Parliament, “We are confident that the IOC fully understands that our bid has the strong backing of Japan's political leadership,” says Tokyo 2016 CEO Ichiro Kono. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)will become Japan’s fifth prime minister in five years.
Despite the uncertainty over who might hold the post of prime minister at the time of the Oct. 2 IOC vote, plans have been developed by the prime minister’s office for a trip to Copenhagen and the IOC Session.
Formal announcements have yet to be made by any of the heads of state from the four nations involved in the 2016 race as to whether they will go to the IOC vote.
President Lula of Brazil has indicated numerous times his intention to go. Zapatero of Spain is expected to accompany the Madrid delegation. But the most anticipation hovers over the White House and word on whether Obama could be the first U.S. head of state to campaign for a bid at an IOC Session, his hometown of Chicago.
Written by Ed Hula.
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