Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated Thursday he may abandon key election pledges made by his Democratic Party of Japan, citing the need for "flexibility" in politics.
Hatoyama's remarks echoed those of DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, who caused a stir Wednesday when he called for continuing auto-related taxes and introducing an income cap into the plan to give cash allowances to households with young children, both of which run counter to pledges made by the DPJ ahead of the August general election that brought the party to power.
"The principles are important, but protecting the lives of the public is important as well," Hatoyama told reporters Thursday.