Word: ldp
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...year of setbacks for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Since the elections of last September, he has lost four cabinet ministers to political scandals; control of the upper house of parliament; and 40 approval rating percentage points. Now, in an attempt to right his ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prepare for a tumultuous fall Diet session, Abe has reshuffled his cabinet, bringing in a host of veteran politicians to regain voter confidence...
...lineup is in sharp contrast to the so-called "buddy cabinet" of almost a year ago, made up of Abe's friends and largely first-time ministers. With key positions such as the cabinet speaker and foreign affairs minister now filled by LDP veterans who control powerful factions within the party, Abe's new cabinet is more reminiscent of days when appointments were handed out to political factions to curry favor and support - and is a sign that the embattled Prime Minister now needs all the help...
...Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has long pushed for greater participation by Japanese forces in the war on terror. After losing control of the Upper House in stunning fashion, Abe is under intense pressure to resign as Prime Minister, even from members of his own Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). By blocking the Japanese military from continuing in Iraq or the Afghanistan theater, Ozawa might deal a killing blow to Abe, or force his government to spend its dwindling political capital to keep the missions alive...
...party self-destructs, politicians will have lost a golden opportunity - and so will have Japan. Throughout most of the postwar era, entrenched bureaucrats and the LDP élite plotted the course of the country through backroom deals and alliances. But in recent years the country's political landscape has begun to change, thanks largely to the dynamic style of Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, who bypassed the old guard and took his case for reform directly to the voters. That was progress, but what's still missing is an alternative to the LDP, something that is needed even more...
...National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Instead of simply shutting down the government in an effort to force Abe out, the DPJ should relax its rhetoric and let the Prime Minister continue to hang himself. They can earn public trust by forging alliances with sympathetic LDP members to set an agenda that responds to the economic concerns of ordinary voters. It won't be easy given its internal divisions. But if the DPJ can pull that off, it can go from being the party of protest to one of power - and Japan could become truly democratic...