JAPAN: Japan's Prime Minister, Mr Junichiro Koizumi, looks set to lead his ruling coalition to victory in an election tomorrow, but time-bombs which could jolt his government in the weeks ahead are ticking away in the background.
Whether they explode or not, Mr Koizumi will face a host of troublesome issues, including a scandal which could cause problems for ruling party members, the sensitive dispatch of Japanese troops to Iraq and a crisis in the banking system.
Political analysts said that once the election was over, the authorities might order an inquiry into allegations that heavyweights in Mr Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party had meddled in highway projects.
The scandal erupted after the former head of Japan Highways, sacked last month by Mr Koizumi's transport minister, said that prominent politicians, including a close Koizumi aide, had used their influence to interfere in road building.
The former highways boss, Mr Haruho Fujii, made the accusations in the media. - (Reuters)