The 2007 Japanese election results

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I suppose a sequel to this thread. Anyway:

Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat in today’s election in the upper house of Parliament, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed that he would not step down.
The main opposition Democratic Party seized control of the upper house by a landslide, capturing seats not only in cities but also in rural districts that have long been strongholds of the Liberal Democratic Party. The rout was widespread, with household names in the governing party falling one after another before opposition newcomers.
In a devastating rebuke to Mr. Abe, angry voters punished him for his mishandling of bread-and-butter issues and a series of scandals in a government seemingly in disarray. Past prime ministers have resigned in the face of similar losses, but Mr. Abe, even before all votes were counted, tried to head off inevitable questions about his leadership.
“I have to repent for what I have to repent,” Mr. Abe, who became prime minister last September, told a Japanese television network.
But, he said, “To pursue reforms, to build a new country, I have to fulfill my duties as prime minister from now on as well.”
The loss, however, will allow the opposition to check Mr. Abe’s legislative agenda. Using parliamentary majorities he had inherited from his popular predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, Mr. Abe rammed through laws to instill patriotism in schools, elevate the status of Japan’s military and prepare for a referendum on revising the pacifist Constitution.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 29 July 2007 21:05 (eighteen years ago)

Oh. Yeah. Adbusters told me to dislike this guy, although I've forgotten why, it seemed pretty bad at the time. What's the new guy like though?

― I know, right?, Sunday, 29 July 2007 21:09 (eighteen years ago)

HMMM. This is very interesting, considering this is the second time (if you count a VERY BRIEF period when the LDP lost power in the early 90s). I dunno if preventing a referendum on Article IX will/should be a goal with the new party.

― jessie monster, Sunday, 29 July 2007 21:14 (eighteen years ago)

I've heard of a general attitude among the Japanese that Abe is unskilled and got to his position primarily out of nepotism. Generally it's really interesting to look at how the current state of Japanese politics does and doesn't compare to our own.

― jessie monster, Sunday, 29 July 2007 21:17 (eighteen years ago)

"I've heard of a general attitude among the Japanese that Abe is unskilled and got to his position primarily out of nepotism."

Nepotism is rife in Japanese politics. Both former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's father and grandfather were politicians, Abe is the grandson of a former Prime Minister (and convicted war criminal), Yasuo Fukuda who served many years as the chief cabinet secretary is another example, and the current foreign minister, Taro Aso is the grandson of a Prime Minister, while his wife is the daughter of another. One widely cited statistic states that up to 70% of Diet members affiliated with the LDP are the sons or daughters of politicians. It is apparently lower among other parties. So in this respect, Abe is hardly unique.

He had a couple of foreign policy successes very early in his tenure, but then seemed to get off-track. He is very much focused on reforming education so as to instill patriotism in children, and revising Article IX of the consitution, which renounces Japan's sovereign right to wage war. The truth is that the average Japanese person doesn't care about these things. They're more interested in so-called "bread and butter" issues. They are worried about the economy, about manufacturing jobs being lost to cheaper Asian rivals, safety, Japanese students' declining achievement in relation to other countries, and the perceived widening of the income gap.

Abe, like the rest of his party, is hopelessly out of touch.

― j-rock, Monday, 30 July 2007 02:28 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

You weren't kidding there, j-rock. Think this will likely mean the end of Abe?

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 8 September 2007 14:41 (eighteen years ago)

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