Staff writer
Politics in 1998 will probably continue under the cloud of a stagnant and troubled economy because Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto appears unable to come up with clear measures to pull it out of the doldrums, experts say.
Hashimoto's Cabinet has been rocked by uncertainty in the financial industry, a series of bankruptcies and a recession since it was launched in September. His political fortune is believed closely linked to the nation's economic woes.