Sunday's House of Councilors elections offered Japanese voters a chance to express their anger at their government's foreign and economic policies over the past year, and the result was a major blow to the country's leading political party.
... As a result, of 121 seats up for grabs in the Upper House, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won only 49 seats, while the opposition Democratic Party won 50. The Buddhist-influenced Komei Party won 11 seats. Granted, the LDP remained the biggest party in the Upper House, occupying 115 of the 242 seats compared to 82 for the Democrats and 24 for Komei. The LDP is also the biggest party in the Lower House, which wields more power than the House of Councilors.
...The LDP's survival depends on forming a coalition government with a religious party, while the Democratic Party remains strong as the opposition, with a real chance of forming a government when elections must be called within the next two years. In the meantime, it will become increasingly difficult for the LDP to get legislation passed, with the opposition wielding power with greater confidence.
The silver-maned Koizumi was a breath of fresh air when he took office, from his distinctive, photogenic good looks, to his rallying cries to weaken the power of the bureaucracy and his calls for sweeping structural reforms to jump-start the economy. But three years on, his promises have not materialized.
article
... As a result, of 121 seats up for grabs in the Upper House, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won only 49 seats, while the opposition Democratic Party won 50. The Buddhist-influenced Komei Party won 11 seats. Granted, the LDP remained the biggest party in the Upper House, occupying 115 of the 242 seats compared to 82 for the Democrats and 24 for Komei. The LDP is also the biggest party in the Lower House, which wields more power than the House of Councilors.
...The LDP's survival depends on forming a coalition government with a religious party, while the Democratic Party remains strong as the opposition, with a real chance of forming a government when elections must be called within the next two years. In the meantime, it will become increasingly difficult for the LDP to get legislation passed, with the opposition wielding power with greater confidence.
The silver-maned Koizumi was a breath of fresh air when he took office, from his distinctive, photogenic good looks, to his rallying cries to weaken the power of the bureaucracy and his calls for sweeping structural reforms to jump-start the economy. But three years on, his promises have not materialized.
Apparently it isn't playing any better in Japan than it is here.
Koizumi said he would reshuffle his Cabinet by September to reflect the latest election results. LDP Secretary-General Shinzo Abe is expected to resign at the end of the month due to his party's poor performance. Koizumi, however, emphasized that he would remain prime minister.
"This is not an election that decides the government; it's a midterm poll that measures the public mood. Koizumi does not have to take responsibility," Abe told state-owned NHK television.
"This is not an election that decides the government; it's a midterm poll that measures the public mood. Koizumi does not have to take responsibility," Abe told state-owned NHK television.
Well, there's something George can appreciate.
That may well be, but it is clear that public disgruntlement toward the prime minister has intensified since his government decided to deploy Japanese troops to Iraq as part of the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing." According to opinion polls conducted by major local dailies, only about one-third of voters supported Japan's decision to join the coalition. But in spite of such low public support, Koizumi decided to send the country's self-defense forces to Iraq, even though Japan's post-World War II constitution prohibits deploying Japanese troops abroad except for self-defense purposes.
And he can relate to that, too.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. There may be some delay before your comment is published. It all depends on how much time M has in the day. But please comment!