Chaos deepened in Japan’s ruling party ahead of an expected August election, as MPs fearing a crushing defeat continued efforts to ditch unpopular PM Taro Aso. Opinion polls show the main opposition Democratic Party ahead of Aso’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), raising the prospect of an end to more than half a century of almost unbroken rule by the business-friendly conservatives.
Posts Tagged ‘Democratic’
“Tacit recognition of Kosovo taking place”
July 13th, 2009 |
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Opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) officials say that the government is “entering a tacit recognition of Kosovo”. For this reason, Jovan Palalić told a news conference in Belgrade on Monday, the government is avoiding parliamentary debates on the matter.
“Govt. working well, harmoniously”
July 13th, 2009 |
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Ruling Democratic Party (DS) deputy leader Dragan Å utanovac said on Monday that the government is working “well and in harmony”. The defense minister in the Cvetković cabinet also stated that “there are no inter-party tensions, despite public reports to that effect and the polemics on the relations within the government instead of its results”.
Japan’s PM Aso calls August vote
July 13th, 2009 |
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Japan’s embattled Prime Minister, Taro Aso, will call a general election for 30 August, says public broadcaster NHK.
The move comes after Mr Aso’s ruling coalition suffered a crucial defeat in local elections in the capital, Tokyo.
The opposition Democratic Party (DJP) won 54 seats to 38 for Mr Aso’s Liberal Democratic Party, ending four decades of dominance in the assembly.
Mr Aso, who has approval ratings of around 20%, had been widely expected to dissolve parliament following the loss. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Taro’s last card
July 13th, 2009 |
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Japan’s beleaguered prime minister calls an election
SINCE becoming Japan’s prime minister last September, Taro Aso has resisted calls to hold an early election. But the clamour from both his own team, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), became too loud to ignore. The LDP suffered a striking defeat in municipal elections in Tokyo on Sunday July 12th and, facing an open revolt from his own party, Mr Aso finally succumbed.
On Monday Mr Aso decided to call an election on August 30th to select members of the lower house of Japan’s Diet (parliament), which he plans to dissolve next week. The decision should quell moves from within the LDP to boot him out. But the decision could result in the ousting of the LDP; the party has governed Japan for more than 50 years. …
Blow to Japan’s PM in Tokyo poll
July 13th, 2009 |
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By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Tokyo
People in Tokyo are preparing to vote in local polls considered a key test of popularity for Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The polls in the capital come ahead of a general election which must be held by October.
Taro Aso, whose Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed for almost all the past half-century, has approval hovering around 20%.
The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is hoping to break the LDP’s grip on power.
Voters are deciding who will sit on Tokyo’s metropolitan assembly, but the stakes could be higher than that for Mr Aso.
If his LDP does badly, moves to oust him from the leadership could intensify.
In the run up to the vote in Tokyo candidates, wearing white gloves and sashes, toured the streets in vans using loudspeakers to campaign.
But many voters appeared largely indifferent.
Some candidates resorted to making speeches in front of deserted city car parks, their words echoing off the surrounding apartment blocks.
The LDP has governed Japan for the past half century, except for a break of less than a year in the 1990s.
But Mr Aso, who is the fourth prime minister since the last election to the more powerful lower house in 2005, has dismal approval ratings.
The opposition DPJ hopes to take power in the next general election, which must be held by October.
It is promising to break the grip of the bureaucracy on policy making, and increase social welfare measures.
But the opposition’s support has been eroded by fund raising scandals.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Jim Jaffe: Time to Talk Tax Hikes
July 11th, 2009 |
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As the crisis in California illustrates, waiting for the arrival of the revenue fairy or outlawing waste, fraud and abuse are faux strategies that deflect attention from tough decisions.