Japan PM rival widens ruling party rift over crisis

TOKYO, May 6 (Reuters): A heavyweight rival to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan from his ruling party on Friday publicly blasted the leader's handling of a nuclear crisis, as deepening rifts in the group threaten to stall policies after a March earthquake and tsunami. The ruling party's image could also take a hit after the deputy head of its disaster task force was discovered to have been playing golf in the Philippines during national holidays this week despite the humanitarian and nuclear crises at home. Kan is already under criticism for his response to the March 11 quake and tsunami that has killed 14,800 people, left some 11,000 missing and led to radiation leaks at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the northeast coast. Opposition parties that have the power to block bills in the divided parliament want Kan to quit and rivals in his own party are also keen to oust the premier, especially after a thrashing in local elections last month.