Abe has chance to be Japan's longest-ruling PM after rule change

Next change it's for life.

Never before have I felt so concerned and worried about the people running the world. With Abe in power for another term, Trump now has a better chance after the new FBI investigation into Hilary's emails and Duterte assassinating thousands of drug dealers and users. Then Asad, Isis and all the other crap going on, each day is so depressing.

Why? Abe's plan to revive Japan's economy has failed! Why keep this loser in power?

That has got to be the most depressing headline I have ever read.

Who else do you have in mind instead of Abe?

Who else do you have in mind instead of Abe?

Considering the ineptitude of Abe, you could do just as good a job with any member of AKB48, or even SoftBank's Otousan dog. Why not try them?

Since Abe is merely a puppet, doing and saying more or less what he's told, it doesn't matter how long he's in for. In any case, if they put someone else in it would just be another puppet.

Yawn.

You just spoiled my morning coffee...

He's gain some firsts being the only PM to my knowledge who's been to the highest position twice. I just think it takes a lot of confidence from his party and the people and perseverance and dedication and willingness from his side to be there at the top. There are perks being there but definitely there are many personal restrictions. Quite admirable. Shame on the foreigners who keep on bashings while living the good life in this politically stable country. Most if not all couldn't even get elected in their own home countries. With the fat salary that goes with the title they get while they're here in Japan doesn't give them any right to know who and how to run Jgovt!

Abenomics has been DOING SOOOOO WELL,so why not allow a good thing to continue:-/

@trinklets2

With the fat salary that goes with the title they get while they're here in Japan doesn't give them any right to know who and how to run Jgovt!

Oh how I wish !!! I don't even have a salary any more... and no "pension" either...

I miss the old days where Japan had a different PM every other season and I could never remember their names

I previously wasn't a fan of Abe because of his interest in constitutional change, but it appears the LDP has dropped that goal (at least for now).

Other than that, I'm pretty indifferent to him. It seems the trend on JT is towards Abe-hatred though. Can someone explain the points that make him so bad as a leader, so those of us who are indifferent can jump on the hate train?

Are there anyone else to replace Abe?

I am not impress with PM ABE at all.

I hope the Japanese people see sense and act before this amendment goes through. Protesting afterwards never achieves anything. "Prime Minister for life" will be next. All hail.

Are there anyone else to replace Abe?

After serving her term as Tokyo Governor with hopefully a few more sensational regional policy in place, she would be the one

Gotta love democracy lol

Abe remains surprisingly popular, despite the obvious failure of Abenomics. Still, I doubt he can last until 2021, mainly because of all the undesireables in the LDP who want their turn as PM.

If Abe does stay until 2021 it means he will postpone the consumption tax increase again. It will never increase whilst Abe is in charge.

Does he get a general's hat and some wire sunglasses?

Life term commitment for Japanese company for employees. Why not politics.

Stranger - re Abe and why people don't like him. My original writing just disappeared into the ether - so an abbreviated response.

His revisionist position. His own writings / speeches. Reams of it. Obviously clinging to the past with the nippon-kaigi fraternity.

His "my way or the highway". Revels in the limelight of his own promises / words (eg Abenomics), but is deflective, silent or lies when confronted with the contrary. Never once have I seen him acknowledge such.

His leadership of the ldp. Make no mistakes, most of the woes falling upon Japan have come under the reign of the ldp. Pension debacles over decades(too unreal to believe), terrible long-term planning and funding for education, $trillions wasted on pork-barrel projects, etc, etc, etc. The ordinary citizens of Japan - the people I love - are the ones bearing the brunt of ldp's gross mismanagement. They're doing it tough. Ldp had the golden egg and dropped it. Because of nepotism, indifference, greed and inability - they couldn't put it back together again. So Abe represents all of that. One thing for sure - Abe, and his cronies Aso, Ishihara, Inada et al never had to scrounge to make ends meet - they just don't know.

And now changing the rules of term midship, so as to speak - to further feather the nests. Just so typical of Abe / ldp. It's all about Me.

Often here on this forum some posters confuse Japan bashing with Abe / ldp bashing. That'd be a big naive mistake.

It means, he will be able to shoot more arrows. Ouch

I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled his body out of the grave after he died and have him back in there as PM, there way it looks. Something like the Weekend at Bernie's movie. As long as everything is 安定, its all good. Seems as if there is a shortage of good leaders/people all over the world. I think the problem is, the way the system is set up, they prevent anyone with the right head on their shoulders to come forth, because of politics, family history, and finances. Usually the best people come from having nothing.

If ldp loses majority, it is possible a different person may teplace Abe. But I doubt this. Some LDP members might tecruit Koike as she proved herself as the best ldp member in Japan. Otherwise, zAbe will reign a few years more.

Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again. -Ronald Reagan

Peace on the seven seas

Chris Lowery,

"Fighting for peace is like folking (misspelling) for virginity."

Peace is not something you have to fight for. As soon as you fight, you've broken it.

@Sherman

Never before have I felt so concerned and worried about the people running the world.

A few more came to mind right away: Putin, Mugabe, Kim.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sorry to depress your day further.

are you telling me with japan's 120mil population, you can't get ONE good replacement for every 6 years? Abe is the only solution for japan? Abe the one in a thousand years PM material?

Not sure what they are talking. Abe is about 1000-1200 DAYS away from coming close to top 3. Eisaku Satō is sitting at 2797 days as PM and 2nd is Shigeru Yoshida at 2247. Abe is sitting at 1402. So he would have to serve 4 more full years. I guess that is what they are saying is possible.... maybe.

There is a politician named Ozawa. He seems much better.

@MsDelicious

Are you sure? Ozawa is the guy who took hundreds of Japan's junior members of Diet to China and said "I'm the commander of the Peoples Liberation Army assigned to Japan".

He is a dead politician here in Japan. I guess those things are not reported on English based news media including Japan today...

Constantly changing prime ministers has always contributed to the smear of Japanese politics, there is no continuity and the concept of godfatherism would always remain a constant. I don't see any other person in the opposition party being as bold and forthright as Abe in handling the most sensitive of issues that have trailed Japan for decades, so he should stay for now and concentrate with handling issues that will bear fruit in the long term and not trying to please everyone in the short term.

I think he prays to the PM of Singapore, but, Japanese economy is minus for 22 years.

I wonder if this will become trendy around the world. It might give President Obama another term. I would never invite Trump or Hillary to a karaoke party, but Obama would at least give a nice welcoming speech!

I previously wasn't a fan of Abe because of his interest in constitutional change, but it appears the LDP has dropped that goal (at least for now).

SLand,

WHAT! Surely you are not buying that! And besides abe & the ldp are busy right now CHANGING the constitution WITHOUT actually changing the constitution!

Witness the new things the SDF get to do!

Witness selling weapons to boast exports!

What abe & his ilk are DOING is disregarding the constitution & also hoping to actually change it back to the disastrous days of the 1930-40s!!

Oh and he is doing this in a big way to ""CLEAR"" his grandpa's name..........

Make no mistake Japan is on a dangerous road

And also abe is a TERRIBLE PM based on the economy, the only thing he did was temporarily weaken the yen so some YEN could be transferred back to Japan, precious little else!

Reform arrow...........I don't think he ever intended to reform much if anything

LOL at everyone's true-to-form reaction. At least he, like Koizumi, has the ability to not get kicked out office in 9 months. He's all we have.

@Berniewooster, You just may have a point there. I hope we at least sail as safe as we can.

So, who is actually surprised by this? Abe and his cronies have been slowly moving towards a fascist state and, no doubt, it will eventually become a dictatorship. He and his mob changed the laws to make it unnecessary to hold a public referendum to change the constitution within the first few months of his term. They also innacted the secrecy law giveing them an open slate to do and say whatever they like behind closed doors. Now, he is changing laws again to ensure he keeps his power? Move over North Korea, Japan is closely following.

This oyaji and his cronies have failed miserably at rebuilding the economy. They have only changed laws to suit themselves. Abe promised to address the national debt (money the government owes the people), but has only extended the debt by borrowing more money. He cut corporate taxes and increased sales tax. He has not delivered on his pledges to increase family allowances or the stimulus packages he keeps talking about. He and his crony LDP party are a complete fraud that is screwing japanese people blind and all these voters sit at home watching stupidly childish TV? Wake up Japan! You are slowly becoming a dictatorship.

LDP members created its new rules and that is for LDP only. So, Abe has an excellent chance. He has solid support of all four wards in Yamaguchi Prefecture. LDP welcomes new members. So, some DPJ members may join.

Seems it's either this or a revolving door PMs

No one can stay in office long enough to matter

This is not law, after all

Read Taro Matsuura in Wiki"edia if you are curious.

Kingston ObikeOCT. 29, 2016 - 07:23PM JST

I don't see any other person in the opposition party being as bold and forthright as Abe in handling the most sensitive of issues that have trailed Japan for decades, so he should stay for now and concentrate with handling issues that will bear fruit in the long term and not trying to please everyone in the short term.

He's had almost four years on the job and shown no signs of achieving anything of value, long-term or otherwise.

No matter how Abe is unpopular by foreigners living in Japan he is not going to lose his PM status as no one in LDP is showing party leadership. Unless DPJ becomes back to a major party. whether people love him or not,, Abe will feign now, legally. Study history of Japanese prime ministers and learn how many % are from Yamaguchi Prefecture.