Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori survived a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet early Tuesday when the governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party voted down the motion in the Lower House. Mori's rivals -- former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato and former LDP policy chief Taku Yamasaki -- reneged at the last minute on their promise to back the opposition-sponsored motion to force Mori's immediate resignation. By abstaining from the vote, Kato, Yamasaki and their LDP supporters facilitated Mori's political survival.
What happened to the determination of Kato, who had vociferously demanded Mori's ouster against the background of mounting public criticism of the prime minister's administration?
Kato's betrayal shattered any hopes that the public had entertained for political renewal, and irreparably worsened public distrust of politics. After the Lower House vote, Kato acknowledged to reporters that he and his group "were not well-prepared and lacked a suitable strategy." Kato added that there were "differences of opinion" in the dissident groups.