Go to all the trouble of explaining the allusions and references in the name of his new party (Link) and Ishihara Shintaro goes ahead and pledges to disestablish it in order that the membership might join Hashimoto Toru's Japan Restoration Association. (Link - J)
Can we please go back to talking about the maneuvering of Ishihara the Younger, the real politician in the family, rather than the blinking dilletante?
With the absorption of the New Party Kizuna into Ozawa Ichiro's People's Life First and the disappearance of the Party of the Sun, we are down now to a mere thirteen parties vying for the attention of the voters.
This is what we call realignment, which a few years ago everybody was talking about. Most assumed that some kind of two party system would emerge based on a Westminster liberal/conservative split, but the parties taking shape now are actually more natural formations for the electoral system that Japan has. It's possible for the first time to start talking about the ideological basis for most of the parties, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for voters, in my opinion.
ReplyDelete+1
ReplyDeleteHalf the problem with Japanese politics is that there is no philosophical underpining to most of the parties.
The other half of the problem is gridlock between upper & lower houses. The mandate given to the DLP at the 2009 election has been frustrated by LDP selfishness and cynical politics in the upper house.
Japan should move to a unicameral system if they want politicians to actually get anything achieved.
Bryce -
ReplyDeleteWas not a goal of realignment the establishment of a two party system with a broad consensus vies among the members and an alternation of power? If so, the reforms have run off the rails.
Anonymous -
Broad-based, somewhat unfocused parties are not only more likely to win a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, they would also likely offer a more tested and resilient legislative program. Except in the cases, as we have seen with the LDP and the 2009 DPJ manifestos, when the parties are lying.
As for the abolition of the House of Councillors, the 2/3rds House of Councillors membership has to vote for the change. A hell of a hill to climb.
However, if the politicians say, "Ooops, we blew it by calling election before redistricting was complete. The current Diet is unconstitutional and the previous one dissolved. Our bad" they could conceivably declare Japan in need of a new Constitution, replacing the failed 1947 document.