General Elections in Japan

Goodbye, Mr. Taro Aso

"Today, I, Taro Aso, decided to dissolve the House of Representatives and seek a popular mandate." These were the introductory words of the speech given by Mr. Aso in a press conference on July 21st 2009, which led to call general elections on August 30. These elections will designate the share of seats in the House of Representatives and, very possibly, will appoint a new Prime Minister in the country of the rising sun


By ANDRES MACIAS
from Tokyo, JAPAN


Mr. Aso is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the same that has been ruling Japan for more than four decades. The other parties involved in the electoral quest include the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the New Komeito Party which is currently part of the rulling coalition with LDP, the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), and the newly created Your Party.

The decision taken by Mr. Aso was not surprising. The popularity of LDP has been getting worse since the last general elections took place. The image of the Prime Minister as head of LDP has diminished the trust of the Japanese citizens towards the ruling party. And the recent Municipal Assembly Election of Tokyo, where the DPJ won the majority of the seats, setting aside the control that LDP had been having for a very long time, might have finally triggered Mr. Aso's reaction.

Political struggle of the ruling party

Since 2005 when the previous general elections were held, Japan has had four different Prime Ministers; three of which have not been chosen directly by the citizens. Mr. Junichiro Koizumi was the leader of LDP and Prime Minister at the moment of the elections. His acceptance among the Japanese people was very high, a situation that allowed his party to have an astonishing win during the 2005 elections. He continued occupying his position until September 2006, when due to LDP rules, he had to step down. LDP had to choose a successor within the party, and Mr. Shinzo Abe became leader of LDP and new Prime Minister of Japan in September. Political criticism and health reasons obliged him to resign one year afterwards. Consequently, Mr. Yasuo Fukuda was chosen President of LDP and therefore became new Prime Minister in September 2007. His ruling period didn't last long either, and in September 2008 he resigned arguing difficulties to develop his political process due to impediments dictated by the opposition which controlled the Upper House of the Parliament.

Mr. Taro Aso replaced Mr. Fukuda, and his future will be determined by the results of the elections of August 30. But, according to the Japan Times, the probability that his party can win are very rare. On July 28, the Japan Times published an article showing the results of a national poll which gave 15 percentual points more to the DPJ.

Difficulties as Prime Minister

The political instability showed by the LDP, needing to replace its party President four times in the last four years, is one of the main reasons for fearing a defeat in the fore coming elections. And Mr. Aso's performance hasn't been able to do much either to improve this situation. He assumed as Prime Minister in a moment in which Japan's economy was slowing down. Short after that, the world faced a huge economic crisis, deepening the country's recovery initiatives. Moreover, distrust in government, corruption issues, and the fight for political power encouraged the opposition party to set up a no-confidence motion against Mr. Aso not long before he dissolved the House of Representatives.

His personal image and popularity have been affected by various errors of judgment which have developed in strong criticism towards his actions, speeches, and ideas. On a public intervention in front of an economic panel he called elderly pensioners as people "who just eat and drink and make no effort". On various occasions, during public and prepared speeches, he has misread "kanjis" (Japanese characters), changing the sense of what he was saying and enabling criticism from the opposition and even mockery from the media. These mistakes have obliged him apologize many times. Even in the speech he prepared the day when he dissolved the House of Representatives, he recognized his gaffes and the effects they might have for the future of the LDP. "My shortcomings have created mistrust among the public, and as the President of the party, I should like to extend my most sincere apologies", he said.

Electoral campaigns

The general elections set for the end of this month have brought attention once again to very critical issues of the national and international agendas. The most important topics over which the campaigns of the LDP and DPJ focus at a national level are related to the economic recovery, the public budget system implemented by government, accountability of the ruling party, and reforms to the national civil servant system. On the international level, the most debated topics concentrate in the involvement of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in peacekeeping missions overseas, the presence of US Military in Okinawa, and how to deal with North Korea.


(Published: 20.08.2009.)