国际英语新闻：Japanese PM to stay in power despite rift in ruling coalition

TOKYO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama voiced his determination Saturday to stay in power despite a rift in the ruling coalition, Kyodo News reported.

Hatoyama, who is on the South Korean island of Jeju to attend a trilateral summit with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, made the remarks in response to a question as to whether he is considering stepping down ahead of the forthcoming upper house election.

"I will do my best to win understanding for the actions that I have taken," Hatoyama was quoted as telling reporters.

"That is the way to fulfill the responsibility of my current position," he said.

On Friday, Hatoyama sacked Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Mizuho Fukushima as the consumer affairs minister from his cabinet as the chief of the SDP, one of the junior coalition parties, refused to sign the cabinet resolution on the issue concerning the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base. A rift was thus opening up in the ruling coalition.

Fukushima hinted Saturday that the SDP would not so much as quit the coalition, but were effectively being kicked out for their stance on the Futenma issue.