politics

Abe to launch cabinet quickly; opposition in disarray

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to the opposition: first stop changing your party names, second stop compromising your principles to blend with each other to get new members, third run on something other than "we will stop the LDP" and fourth if you use your own face as the head of your party at least run as the head of your party.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Lol what opposition? Any one with two gray cells to rub together knows it's a single party dictatorship!!

10 ( +12 / -2 )

some opposition parties are in favor of amendment generally but have different priorities.

Seemed to me that the general population had different priorities throughout this entire election but the LDP got reelected anyway.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Have to agree with the above posters. I've lived in the middle east, and even most dicatorships are not as old as the LDP's power reign. There is no real opposition. This is not a democracy

10 ( +13 / -3 )

The "Liberal-Democratic Party" is neither liberal nor democratic, nor has it ever been. It's the party founded by the War Criminals of World War II.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

Dango bongToday  06:40 am JST

to the opposition: first stop changing your party names, second stop compromising your principles to blend with each other to get new members, third run on something other than "we will stop the LDP" and fourth if you use your own face as the head of your party at least run as the head of your party.

Also stop fielding the same candidates who lost the past five elections, establish clear policies and kick out any Diet members who don't agree with them.

I also think candidates' support groups have far too much influence. Presumably the party leaders feel they need the votes and the funds, so they kow-tow to these people and are far too sensitive to their opinions.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

There is no real opposition. This is not a democracy

such hyperbole! come on, the main reason voters stuck with abe was because of the north korean crisis, which couldn't have happened at a more opportune time for the ldp. voters wanted stability in these rough times so they choose abe. i'm sure quite a few held their nose while doing it, too. and you can't say enough about the typhoon hitting, hich dampened turnout for independents.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

You get who you vote for.

@Crazy Joe: Read, Embracing Defeat, you’ll find that the real first mover to establish the LDP was in fact an American organization, one that funded and helped the LDP ‘take over’ an organization that has meddled and interfered globally.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Abe also said his party will draw up by the end of the year a policy package 

"Policy" package? We've just had an election, and he needs more time to come up with policies?

Surely what he actually means is "another deficit boosting spending package".

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he will waste no time in reappointing his Cabinet and key members of his Liberal Democratic Party

He will waste no time stacking the deck with his cronies and push the constitution reform through without opposition.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Opposition, allow PR's to vote you would get 1 million votes instantly...

7 ( +8 / -1 )

such hyperbole! come on, the main reason voters stuck with abe was because of the north korean crisis, which couldn't have happened at a more opportune time for the ldp.

Such oversimplification. While the NK did help him, it was not the reason he actually won. NO. The main reason the voters stuck with Abe is because the only other half viable opposition had ALMOST THE EXACT SAME MANDATES!  Except for the tax hike and nuclear energy, the two parties were the same.  There was no real opposition because there has never been one.  Anyone who knows Japan knows that political parties here a game of musical chairs. THAT'S what makes it not a democracy. They run circles around you and confuse you into thinking you have a choice when in fact, you don't.

voters wanted stability in these rough times so they choose abe.

How is choosing Abe choosing stability?  The PM will do as he/ she is told by the US.

i'm sure quite a few held their nose while doing it, too.

You proved my first point.

and you can't say enough about the typhoon hitting, hich dampened turnout for independents.

obviously you didn't check the news. The people turned out BEFORE the typhoon. Its not like everybody had to wait until the last day.  MANY people voted before then. Those that didn't- They just didn't care because they knew there is no difference.  Nothing changes. And who can blame them?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

such hyperbole!

How's this for hyperbole?

People are reluctant about Prime Minister Abe, but then who would you turn to? There is no one.

Naoto Nonaka, professor at Gakushuin University in Tokyo.

https://japantoday.com/category/quote-of-the-day/people-are-reluctant-about-prime-minister-abe-but-then-who-would-you-turn-to-there-is-no-one.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Opposition, allow PR's to vote you would get 1 million votes instantly...

exactly!  That's why the LDP is so against us voting. Because they know we would boot them out in a second!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Choosing a political party in Japan is like going into a restaurant and being offered a choice between Coke and Diet Coke.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

A new cabinet? But the previous one didn't do anything other than engage in a bit of fear-mongering, including holding useless missile drills in some small communities. Duck and cover! This is what the public must do until the malignant LDP becomes weak enough for Japan to have a real democracy. The question is, how long will it take?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I guess, he won't keep his promise about giving more power to women?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Yeah there's no point in shaking up the cabinet, the people voted for the LDP knowing who and what the administration is. Particularly in times like these, it's better not to rotate people around due to the risks associated with that. The opposition is unfortunately too incompetent to even mention here and deserve to die off slowly so a better opposition takes their place.

All in all, the best possible election results!

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

While I agree with many of you, the reason people voted for Abe was laziness, complacency, tradition, all reasons not to vote for someone. And yes, the opposition was in disarray, but now for the first time, I think a real left of center opposition can now take shape. Koike has been exposed for the fraud she is. She is LDP light, with a more populist spin. Abe and the LDP are who we thought they were, right wing war mongering, corporatists. But Edano has Seiji Maehara to thank for blowing up MInshinto, and now allowing them to purge all the closet right wingers who were lurking in that party. Ichiro Ozawa, Maehara, and the like. Now they can really try and make a group who can speak for the people, and not only their self interests.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Its a democratic dictatorship of LDP with no chance of change in foreseeable future. People just don't bother to think, my grand parents used to vote for LDP, then my parents did the same and so will I and so will my children and so on.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

How many people here actually voted? If you had the right, would you vote like you do so diligently with the absentee ballots you cast every election in your own country?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@DaDude

UK citizens lose the right to vote after fifteen years spent out of the country.

It’s annoying. My home is a very closely-contested constituency.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

MarkX - I agree and suspect this is why there have been two Kyodo articles posted here in the last 24 hours stating that the opposition is in disarray. Now that the strange hybrid creature called Minshinto has died, voters know roughly what they can expect with each of the main parties, meaning that the opposition is in less disarray than it has been for a few years.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As a non Japanese, I feel offended by this photo of Abe. As I use body language to survive, his gesture seems to me that he doesn't care about people and his hand gesture maybe suggests some sort of implant from him to you.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

dcog9065Today  11:36 am JST

Yeah there's no point in shaking up the cabinet, the people voted for the LDP knowing who and what the administration is.

No. A large minority of the people voted for the LDP, not "the people".

Get it right.

Particularly in times like these, it's better not to rotate people around due to the risks associated with that. The opposition is unfortunately too incompetent to even mention here...

But you have mentioned the opposition and their incompetence. Repeatedly, in fact. It's almost as if you have nothing else to say.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

@Simon Foston: If you're whining about grammar now, then I think it is hilariously clear why the opposition got comically thrashed. The people voted in the LDP + coalition and they have a supermajority in parliament, which is more than a simple majority.

Yes I mention their incompetence repeatedly as they could barely muster a few dozen candidates together, yet they wanted to govern the entire nation? That is treasonously incompetent so it needs to be brought up permanently and every time in the future for the same opposition.

The losers in an election always whine, but I assume you'll get over it too in a few months. In the meantime pay your taxes

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Yuriko Koike, head of the newly established Party of Hope, commented on Sunday's election returns when meeting with Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, in Paris by saying, "It's hard to break the iron roof of a male-dominated world." By golly, what does it mean?

She has already broken the” glass roof” of the Metropolitan Tokyo government, becoming the first-ever female governor of Tokyo. One can conjecture, then, that the iron roof she is speaking of is a male-dominated world of central politics at the Diet, an obstacle she must break through to become the first-ever female prime minister.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Was the male vs. female discrimination an issue in this election?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

New Party of Koike caused to scatter Anti-Abe votes,and assisted LDP resultantly.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Yuriko Koike, head of the newly established Party of Hope, commented on Sunday's election returns when meeting with Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, in Paris by saying, "It's hard to break the iron roof of a male-dominated world."

Personally, considering how she campaigned hard against foreign suffrage and for OUR iron roof, she will get absolutely NO sympathy from me.

Yuriko, you reap what you sow.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Was the male vs. female discrimination an issue in this election?

I don't see how it could be.  Neither she nor any other woman (to my knowledge) ran directly against Abe. So that claim about the ceiling is a bit out of line

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Abe is expected to retain most of the current cabinet lineup, including Finance Minister Taro Aso and Foreign Minister Taro Kono

I'd be more confident leaving the future to tarot.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

dcog9065Today  02:22 pm JST

@Simon Foston: If you're whining about grammar now...

Not grammar. Word choice. Big difference.

Most of "the people" did not vote for the LDP. The LDP won anyway because of the election system. Check the figures.

Yes I mention their incompetence repeatedly as they could barely muster a few dozen candidates together, yet they wanted to govern the entire nation? 

When did any opposition politician express any hope of taking power from the LDP in this election?

Who? When? Got any quotes?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I see many sour plums here about the Abe/LDP win. 

People are reluctant about Prime Minister Abe, but then who would you turn to? There is no one.

Well, many here stated the JCP as the only alternative to Abe/LDP, and voted for them.  What happened?

opposition in disarray

Here's your opportunity for the next election.  If the JCP continues to use their real party name and "Communist" face, they'll continue to lose.  As someone here pointed out, they need to change their name and they might win more votes.  How about "Party of Truth" and position itself as the "only alternative" to LDP?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

New Party of Koike caused to scatter Anti-Abe votes,and assisted LDP resultantly.

I don't really understand that. She herself is saying that the voters saw the party as too close to Abe and the LDP.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

LizzToday  09:31 am JST

New Party of Koike caused to scatter Anti-Abe votes,and assisted LDP resultantly.

I don't really understand that. She herself is saying that the voters saw the party as too close to Abe and the LDP.

I think it's more likely that the Hope Party split the conservative vote but not by nearly enough to really hurt the LDP.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well, many here stated the JCP as the only alternative to Abe/LDP, and voted for them. What happened?

Well, most of the people who said that didn't actually have the right to vote. ie foreigners.

Here's your opportunity for the next election. If the JCP continues to use their real party name and "Communist" face, they'll continue to lose. As someone here pointed out, they need to change their name and they might win more votes. How about "Party of Truth" and position itself as the "only alternative" to LDP?

Actually that someone was me. But I'm not sure that even that will be effective right now. I dont know if anything will.  I'm just so disgusted at the election results that I don't know if anything will change

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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