One consequence of a general election's being pushed back until this autumn at the earliest is that Ozawa Ichiro's term as DPJ president may expire before he gets his chance to risk his political career in a bid to unseat the LDP.There is a chance that his term could be extended without a party election, …
Tag: DPJ
Kan in the lion’s den
On Friday, the National Governors Association held its second meeting in Nagata-cho in as many months, an emergency meeting to protest plans to end the special fund for road construction by redirecting gasoline tax revenue into the general fund. Higashikokubaru Hideo, popular comedian-cum-governor of Miyazaki prefecture, evoked the name of bankrupt Yubari City in calling …
The LDP and DPJ discuss personnel
Among the tasks facing the Diet in the first half of the regular session is the selection of a new heads for the Bank of Japan, the Board of Audit, the National Personnel Authority, and the Fair Trade Commission. Selecting personnel for these posts is done by a "dual key" system: both houses — in …
Reforming the Diet
Speaking at a press conference at the Diet on Wednesday, a group of seven young members of the House of Representatives from the LDP and the DPJ announced their intention to submit independently a Diet reform bill that will draw up rules of the game for the divided Diet.The members from the LDP are Kono …
The LDP’s candidate surplus
Sato Yukari, the "assassin" denied the LDP's nomination for Gifu-1, will receive the party's endorsement to run in Tokyo-5, which includes Meguro ward and part of Setagaya ward. The district's current representative, Kosugi Takashi, a former education minister, will be retiring at term's end.The LDP had considered endorsing Dr. Sato for other districts, but ultimately …
Is administrative reform a wedge issue for the DPJ?
Mainichi has an editorial about the government's administrative reform proposals — discussed in this post.Most of the editorial simply summarizes the contents of the proposals, but includes a paragraph about opposition within the LDP to the proposals."Wholly negative opinions — 'Not realistic' — can be heard from within the LDP regarding the restrictions on direct …
Continue reading Is administrative reform a wedge issue for the DPJ?
That rowdy budget committee
The Budget Committee in the House of Councillors is currently debating the 2007 supplementary budget before moving on to the 2008 budget.The opposition, now in control of the HC, has been giving the prime minister and members of his cabinet a rough time in deliberations, at least according to Yamamoto Ichita, LDP HC member. Writing …
Waiting for autumn
As the temperature in the debate over the temporary gasoline tax lowers and the parties prepare to negotiate, it seems increasingly likely that Prime Minister Fukuda will succeed in pushing a general election until "after the G8 summit."Mr. Ozawa admitted as much Thursday in a speech at his annual political workshop. He declared that the …
The DPJ steps back again
Days after an agreement that resulted in the government's momentarily backing away from plans to extend the gas surcharge temporarily, Yamaoka Kenji, the DPJ's Kokutai chairman, has provided a reminder of just how precarious the agreement is. Mr. Yamaoka warned that if the government moves on the legislation in the HR before "thorough debate" — …
In the Japan Times
The Japan Times has published an op-ed of mine on DPJ strategy.You can find it here.
Tobias S. Harris 