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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Comment: Japan enters an era of two-party system

The morning of November 10 saw the announcement of the results of the 43rd general election of the House of Representatives of Japan. The election sends a message to voters that Japan is entering an era of "two-party system".


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The morning of November 10 saw the announcement of the results of the 43rd general election of the House of Representatives of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in power won 237 seats, a reduction of 10 seats from the time of its dissolution. The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) gained 40 more seats to reach 177. The Komei Party, a party in the middle, achieved a small victory, while the seats of the Communist Party (JCP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) shrank sharply. The election sends a message to voters that Japan is entering an era of "two-party system".

Each party, of course, has its own views on the election. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi refused to acknowledge defeat, saying his policy of structural reforms has the support of citizens; while DPJ leader Naoto Kan believed his party had taken an important step toward the seizure of power next time.

An overview of the election shows the following characteristics.

Firstly, most votes went to the two biggest parties. The seats for small parties dropped from 78 before the election to 53, while those for LDP and DPJ surged from 384 to 414 altogether. Japan institutes the system of "the co-existence of small election districts and proportional representatives", under which for one thing, the nation is to divide into 300 small election districts, in each of which only one person can be elected out; for the second thing, the nation is divided into 10 big election districts, and seats are distributed to parties according to the number of votes they get. The system, unlike that of the past, tends to favor bigger parties. The small election districts save the fights between candidates of the same party and Japanese voters psychologically tend to cast their votes to bigger parties, which facilitates the pooling of strengths by big parties. In the election this time, LDP got a voting rate of 43 percent in small districts, but secured 56 percent seats in the House; DPJ won 36 percent small district votes and 35 percent seats.

Secondly, all parties put out their "pledges", that is, clear statements on concrete policies they pledge to implement once coming to power. The practice was initiated by the Democrats and followed suit by various other parties. To attract voters the Democrats even worked out its "list of Cabinet members". The release of the "pledges" has greatly improved the image of the Democrats. A survey shows that most voters have shifted their attention from the personality charm of party leaders to the party's pledges. Besides, by merging with the Liberal Party, the Democratic Party not only won support from half voters of non-party affiliations, but dragged 20 percent of traditional LDP supporters to its side.

As for the LDP, although the reduction of seats in the House is not a defeat, and although the voters are dissatisfied with Koizumi's reform results, they still cherish expectations of his line of structural reform. Another important element is the support from the Komei Party, which has strong organizing capability. Meanwhile, voters begin to feel tired of the traditional practice whereby politicians secure support by seeking benefits for their own district. As result, an ebb tide has appeared in the "profit-lured politics". Some company groups traditionally supporting LDP turned to DPJ, and those with no party affiliations, who made up half of voters, became the key factor affecting the outcome of the election. LDP's traditional territory in rural areas is also challenged.

Thirdly, seats of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) shrank sharply, and the constitution-defending forces beat a major retreat. The SDP and JCP have long been raising high the banner of defending the peace Constitution, introspecting the history of aggression and following the road of peace, the Constitution-defending forces have thus long been holding over 20 percent seats in the House. But due to the advocacy of the LDP, DPJ and other political parties in recent years for revision of the Constitution, plus the recent exaggeration of the "Korean nuclear issue" and the kidnapping issue, the advocacy for revising Article 9 of the Constitution which stipulates not maintaining military strengths and "rectifying the name" of Self-Defense Forces has surfaced. Influenced by this, the seat for the SDP declined from pre-election 18 to six, that for the JCP from 20 to nine. Reports say that since more than two-thirds parliament members support constitution revision the Japanese society may accelerate its steps toward constitution revision, the constitution-defending forces may be subject to tests.

Through consultations, the original three ruling parties centered on the LDP decided to continue cooperation, and the Koizumi cabinet to continue its rule. Plus the Diet members admitted into the party after election, the seats of LDP add up to 240, and plus members of the other two parties, the total seats of three ruling parties in the House reach 275, far exceeding the "absolutely stable majority" seats needed to hold the initiatives in various committees. The business community hopes the Koizumi cabinet could push forward reforms and DPJ carry out sounder policy debates. Sources say that a special Diet meeting will be held on November 19 to form the second Koizumi office, with all cabinet members kept to their posts.

The arrival of the "two-party system" is the first step triggering changes in the Japanese society. In modern history Japan has experienced a radical change once every 60 years. After a decade of exploration though, Japan is still in the midway of changes. Despite the fierce policy fights between the LDP and the DPJ, opposition parties are still not strong enough to bring about a cabinet change.

The article was carried on the People's Daily, Nov. 11, translated by PD Online staff Li Heng


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