The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© KYODOJapan's two largest opposition parties to merge
TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© KYODO
12 Comments
Login to comment
u_s__reamer
This new political alliance will offer little serious opposition to the LDP without new ideas to wake up the electorate. The opposition most feared by Abe and his LDP cronies will appear this coming winter: the Covid second wave. This pandemic is shining a light on the dark corners of society exposing the hidden cracks and fissures in the underbelly of political and economic structures. The fundamental flaws of the LDP's hegemony will not be spared from the light of Covid.
Aly Rustom
good news
Aly Rustom
u_s__reamer
Excellent post!
Graham DeShazo
I used to be so hopeful for the opposition parties. Now I don’t even bother to learn what the acronyms stand for.
fxgai
They should call themselves Minshuto Again.
dont miss the Again.
Goodlucktoyou
Anything to protect Article 9.
voiceofokinawa
There's been constant alignment and realignment among post-war Japan's political parties, especially among opposition parties. How can the opposition challenge the ruling LDP that has been in power almost seamlessly since 1952?
Hang in there, opposition parties.
Mlodinow
What hasn't worked many times in the past is sure to work this time! /s
Rather than relying on popularity, which clearly none of the opposition parties have, why not trying to differentiate yourselves by policy? And by policy, I mean sensible policy which offers a clear, reasonable alternative to the LDP. Most parties seem to be either policy clones of the LDP or complete nutjobs.
HBJ
The main problem with this mongrel-like opposition party is the more they keep cross-breeding the less coherent their identity becomes. What are the main principles of these people? They defect, merge, and change their party names so much, it's impossible to know what they fundamentally stand for.
socrateos
HBJ:
Not joining the newly merged party are such as Yuichiro Tamaki, Shiori Yamao, Seiji Maehara and Motohisa Furukawa. They are young pragmatists who strongly believe that the most Japanese people are not Left/Right wing dogmatists but simply want realistic policies that improve their lives.
I have more hope in this small, focused group than the newly merged slightly larger party, which will continue to have old problems within.
fxgai
In Japanese democracy, the voters by and large don’t seem to care about policy ideas, any more than the politicians they have to choose from, unfortunately.
Come to think of it, we could say much the same about the LDP, no? I mean to say, the LDP policies depend on which faction is in charge at the time. Abe has his faults but at least he manage to hold the fortress for the best part of a decade this time.
The public servant bureaucrats seem to have the most sway over day to day policies.
Japan will only “change” when there is a truly horrid crisis I’m afraid.
Simon Foston
fxgaiToday 09:02 am JST
It's hardly a major accomplishment, what with the fragmented opposition and lack of serious challenges to his "leadership."
socrateosAug. 20 11:00 pm JST
Really? Seiji Maehara is a member of Nippon Kaigi.
Why? What do you expect them to achieve on their own?