(((゜Д゜；)))英字新聞
LDP must stop bickering and craft viable policies
We feel the Liberal Democratic Party's latest turmoil is too much to tolerate. A key factor behind the LDP's confusion is Prime Minister Taro Aso's insufficient leadership, demonstrated by the ruling party's massive defeat in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election as a result thereof. This was combined with the unease felt by LDP members, who think their party faces an uphill battle in the forthcoming House of Representative election.
But now is not the time for the party to wage an internal power struggle.
The lower house is set to be dissolved on Tuesday, with an ensuing general election scheduled for Aug. 30. The LDP is certain to be aggressively attacked by the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan in the lower house race.
Given this, it is obvious what the LDP should do now. The party must hurriedly craft responsible policies that can be studied by voters in deciding which party they will support in the lower house election.
On Thursday, former LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa and other lawmakers seeking Aso's resignation met the party's top cadre to demand the convening of a formal session of the Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses in the Diet. They submitted a list of signatures collected from party members for their cause, saying, "[The LDP] will be unable to fight the lower house election under Prime Minister Aso."
But the party leadership rejected their demand, and, instead, decided to hold an informal meeting of LDP legislators from both chambers of the Diet as a nonvoting session. The LDP top echelon defended its decision, saying the collected signatures were short of the number required for holding the former meeting and that convening such a session would only add to the party's intramural turmoil.
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Aso authored confusion
Aso has made hard-to-swallow claims that the metropolitan assembly election was not directly linked to national politics. However, there is no getting around the fact that severe criticism of the Aso Cabinet has led to consecutive defeats for the ruling camp in recent regional elections.
One of the causes of the current confusion is that Aso announced the dissolution of the lower house and a snap general election without holding proper consultations with other LDP members and without giving a general overview of his party's defeat in the Tokyo election.
Without verifying the causes for its repeated losses in regional elections, the LDP cannot draw up a blueprint on how to fight the lower house election campaign.
LDP lawmakers will not accept Aso's stance on the lower house election unless he sincerely apologizes for the defeat suffered in the Tokyo election and demonstrates his resolve to win the upcoming election during Tuesday's meeting.
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'Rebellion' was stillborn
We also have misgivings over moves by anti-Aso lawmakers.
Were they demanding that a party presidential election be held before the lower house election? Or were they demanding an inquest into their party's recent losses in regional elections? It is undeniable that gathering signatures without specifying the purpose of doing so invited further commotion within the LDP.
Moreover, it was hardly surprising that calls for the LDP presidential election to be brought forward were becoming muted given that no lawmaker has thrown his hat into the ring in a bid to succeed Aso, and there are no major contenders to replace him.
LDP Election Strategy Council Chairman Makoto Koga expressed his intention to step down from the post to take responsibility for the Tokyo assembly election defeat.
Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, who plays a pivotal role in managing economic policies in the Aso Cabinet, reportedly voiced objections to the prime minister's decisions over the lower house dissolution and the general election.
Some party members are said to be planning to campaign for the lower house election under anti-Aso banners and with their own manifestoes.
But such moves will only end up puzzling voters. We urge the prime minister to bring the confusion under control and have LDP members work on their party's election pledges as soon as possible.
We feel the Liberal Democratic Party's latest turmoil is too much to tolerate. A key factor behind the LDP's confusion is Prime Minister Taro Aso's insufficient leadership, demonstrated by the ruling party's massive defeat in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election as a result thereof. This was combined with the unease felt by LDP members, who think their party faces an uphill battle in the forthcoming House of Representative election.
But now is not the time for the party to wage an internal power struggle.
The lower house is set to be dissolved on Tuesday, with an ensuing general election scheduled for Aug. 30. The LDP is certain to be aggressively attacked by the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan in the lower house race.
Given this, it is obvious what the LDP should do now. The party must hurriedly craft responsible policies that can be studied by voters in deciding which party they will support in the lower house election.
On Thursday, former LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa and other lawmakers seeking Aso's resignation met the party's top cadre to demand the convening of a formal session of the Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses in the Diet. They submitted a list of signatures collected from party members for their cause, saying, "[The LDP] will be unable to fight the lower house election under Prime Minister Aso."
But the party leadership rejected their demand, and, instead, decided to hold an informal meeting of LDP legislators from both chambers of the Diet as a nonvoting session. The LDP top echelon defended its decision, saying the collected signatures were short of the number required for holding the former meeting and that convening such a session would only add to the party's intramural turmoil.
===
Aso authored confusion
Aso has made hard-to-swallow claims that the metropolitan assembly election was not directly linked to national politics. However, there is no getting around the fact that severe criticism of the Aso Cabinet has led to consecutive defeats for the ruling camp in recent regional elections.
One of the causes of the current confusion is that Aso announced the dissolution of the lower house and a snap general election without holding proper consultations with other LDP members and without giving a general overview of his party's defeat in the Tokyo election.
Without verifying the causes for its repeated losses in regional elections, the LDP cannot draw up a blueprint on how to fight the lower house election campaign.
LDP lawmakers will not accept Aso's stance on the lower house election unless he sincerely apologizes for the defeat suffered in the Tokyo election and demonstrates his resolve to win the upcoming election during Tuesday's meeting.
===
'Rebellion' was stillborn
We also have misgivings over moves by anti-Aso lawmakers.
Were they demanding that a party presidential election be held before the lower house election? Or were they demanding an inquest into their party's recent losses in regional elections? It is undeniable that gathering signatures without specifying the purpose of doing so invited further commotion within the LDP.
Moreover, it was hardly surprising that calls for the LDP presidential election to be brought forward were becoming muted given that no lawmaker has thrown his hat into the ring in a bid to succeed Aso, and there are no major contenders to replace him.
LDP Election Strategy Council Chairman Makoto Koga expressed his intention to step down from the post to take responsibility for the Tokyo assembly election defeat.
Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, who plays a pivotal role in managing economic policies in the Aso Cabinet, reportedly voiced objections to the prime minister's decisions over the lower house dissolution and the general election.
Some party members are said to be planning to campaign for the lower house election under anti-Aso banners and with their own manifestoes.
But such moves will only end up puzzling voters. We urge the prime minister to bring the confusion under control and have LDP members work on their party's election pledges as soon as possible.
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