It appears that the administrative reform package desired by Watanabe Yoshimi, minister responsible for administrate reform, will be watered down as expected. Given the reception Mr. Watanabe’s proposals received in the cabinet, I can’t say that I’m surprised.

According to Mainichi, the powers of the Cabinet Personnel Agency, the central feature of Mr. Watanabe’s plan, will be diluted, with responsibility for the CPA given to the chief cabinet secretary and individual cabinet ministers retaining the right to manage personnel affairs in their ministries.

Thanks to the intervention of Prime Minister Fukuda, the objections of cabinet minister were acknowledged and the draft was moderated accordingly.

Now that LDP has delivered a disappointing result, will the DPJ finally take up this issue and pressure the government on its coddling of the bureaucracy?