World leaders paid tribute yesterday to the former Japanese prime minister, Mr Keizo Obuchi, a man initially dismissed by political observers as not suited for the job.
Mr Obuchi, a party-machine politician who proved to be a surprisingly effective leader, died of complications from a stroke that struck him on April 2nd after 20 months in office. He was 62.
The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, said Germany would honour his memory. "Prime Minister Obuchi made important and lasting contributions to the relations between our two countries during his term in office and earlier when he was foreign minister," he said in a telegram to Mr Yoshiro Mori, who took over as Japanese Prime Minister after Mr Obuchi's stroke.
In Washington, President Clinton said he was "deeply saddened" by news of Mr Obuchi's death, adding that the United States had lost one of its closest friends. He was "a strong and vibrant leader", he said, and he was grateful for the former prime minister's "dedicated and principled public service".
President Jacques Chirac of France praised Mr Obuchi as a tenacious leader. He saluted the memory of "a man who managed to undertake with tenacity a daring programme of reforms, putting Japan in prime position to face the great challenges of this century" Mr Chirac said in a statement.
Mr Obuchi will be best known for getting Japan's stagnant economy on the road to recovery after its worst recession in over 50 years. "The economy has been in a very serious condition and Obuchi's hard work brought brighter prospects," said Mr Mori.
The circumstances surrounding Mr Obuchi's transfer of power remain in doubt. The government's chief spokesman says that Mr Obuchi told him soon after his stroke to take over in case his condition worsened. But doctors have questioned whether Mr Obuchi was cognisant enough at that time to have made such a clear statement.