Poll sees ex-Defense Minister Ishiba favored as next Japan PM

Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba topped the list as the candidate people considered the most suitable to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a Kyodo News poll released Monday showed, ahead of the ruling party's presidential election next month.

The people have no say in his selection and no idea of his policy proposals.

That's Democracy!

So that will mean, defense first?

dagonToday  07:09 am JST

Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba topped the list as the candidate people considered the most suitable to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a Kyodo News poll released Monday showed, ahead of the ruling party's presidential election next month.

The people have no say in his selection and no idea of his policy proposals.

That's Democracy!

Japan has a Parliamentary democracy.

Other nations that do include UK, Canada, Germany, India, Australia, NZealand, Sweden, Norway. Nobody is going to argue that they aren't democracies.

I say give him his chance!

Koizumi May Be, Ishiba NO FOR SURE.

The people have no say in his selection and no idea of his policy proposals.

That's Democracy!

When the one party in the One Party State decides to change leaders they could at least call a general election and pretend to be a democracy.

The people have no say in his selection and no idea of his policy proposals

I think everyone knows exactly what they will be.

The last time and time before Ishiba was also leading in the polls and vote of LDP members BUT the vote gives equal decision making to LDP members of Parliament who do not favor him. Same is likely to happen this time.

They ought to hold the general election ahead of the party president election to give the party at least an inkling of what the public wants. Not that they really care.

Just another LDP stooge

Ishiba, when he held the post of Defense Minister, negotiated with the U.S. over the relocation issue of the Futenma air station, succumbed to the U.S. and agreed with the U.S. for the Henoko relocation. He had suggested somewhere in sprawling Camp Hansen for the relocation site.  

He didn't notice that, for the U.S., Henoko was a target site for Futenma's relocation from the very beginning.

Something about Ishiba that just gives me the creeps. The way he talks to the media and people as if he were giving a stern lecture to a child, he is confident I’ll give him that but there’s a background coldness and arrogance to him that just doesn’t work for me somehow. Very much get the feeling that he is talking down to everyone, not exactly endearing or high on the relatable scale.

Not that that matters of course, we ain’t gunna be voting anytime soon, just an observation. Anyone else get the same vibes?

Japan has a Parliamentary democracy.

Other nations that do include UK, Canada, Germany, India, Australia, NZealand, Sweden, Norway. Nobody is going to argue that they aren't democracies.

Understood, then why the farce of taking a survey of voters?

And the nations listed are not one party states like Japan.

In all situations, the leader of the ruling party becomes the PM. The Sept vote in the LDP is to elect a new leader. The party will take notice of public opinion when selecting the leader.

Fantastic! An ex defense minister at the top in control of all the new weapons Kishida purchased. This guy would be more trigger happy than Kishida.

They ought to hold the general election ahead of the party president election to give the party at least an inkling of what the public wants. Not that they really care.

What would be the point? More than 50% of voters here don't vote.

By political party, the support rate for the LDP stood at 36.7 percent, while that for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was at 12.3 percent. The second-biggest opposition Japan Innovation Party measured 8.5 percent

And by knowing that 50% of eligible voters in Japan don't vote you do the math.

I'm sorry but the guy doesn't seem like much of a charismatic leader.

And by the look of him, you can tell that he probably spends a lot of time in exclusive LDP clubs in Ginza after work each night. He's another one that remembers the bubble well.

With him, expect more of the status quo. Not that any of the other candidates are much better.

What will it take to get rid of the LDP once and for all?

Alfie NoakesToday 07:52 am JST

When the one party in the One Party State decides to change leaders they could at least call a general election and pretend to be a democracy.

dagonToday 08:29 am JST

And the nations listed are not one party states like Japan.

Ah, the old "one party state" line. People (usually the pro-CCP crowd) just love to assert that Japan isn't a "proper" democracy, when it clearly is.

Japanese citizens can legally vote for various parties: that does not happen in a one party state. If they choose the LDP, so be it.

When you look at the actual evidence, rather than propaganda, you will see that power has changed hands numerous times down the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Japan#Prime_ministers

Is so funny when you realize that all those public polls are utterly and completely useless.

They (LDP) will elect the best guy to pursue their interests and agendas, for the benefit of the Party's members, not for the benefit of Japan and Japanese people.

Are people so naive and gullible?

It's just a complicated game of musical chairs, calling in debts and favours from the past 10-15 years, as they negotiate and jostle for these positions. Factional politics still rule, despite changing their name to research groups.

dagonToday  08:29 am JST

Japan has a Parliamentary democracy.

Other nations that do include UK, Canada, Germany, India, Australia, NZealand, Sweden, Norway. Nobody is going to argue that they aren't democracies.

Understood, then why the farce of taking a survey of voters?

And the nations listed are not one party states like Japan.

Japan is not a one-party state as it has several political parties. In addition to the LDP, the prominent ones are CDP, Komeito, DPP, Innovation Party, JCP and SDP. and other smaller ones. The LDP has been out of power twice since it's inception.

The CCP of China is an example of a one-party state since any other political party is deemed illegal.

And the nations listed are not one party states like Japan.

In one party states like Japan and China, the party decides the leader. The party is the government.

The CCP of China is an example of a one-party state since any other political party is deemed illegal.

This is misinformation as there are other parties in China. Like Japan, there has been only one ruling party.

Japanese citizens can legally vote for various parties: that does not happen in a one party state. If they choose the LDP, so be it.

Can Japanese citizens directly choose the prime minister? Please repost your answer "Of course they can." How do Japanese citizens choose the next primes minister in the election next month?

Koizumi might be interesting. As much as I don't like the bochan prime ministers, I think Koizumi seems young and dynamic enough to do something interesting.

quercetumToday 11:09 am JST

quercetumToday 11:11 am JST

quercetumToday 11:13 am JST

Here we go again - asserting that China's and Japan's systems (and the UK's, and all other parliamentary democracies) are the same. They aren't.

Let's look past your usual sophistry and lies, and consider the evidence.

[JAPAN]

1) Multiple political parties that can be legally voted for, and can legally hold power at the national level

2) Parliamentary democracy (not presidential system like the US), where the people don't vote for a leader but a party, with all party leaders known in a general election

3) If a leader changes after a general election, the party (not the people) decide the new leader; however, if the people do not like the new leader they can vote the party out at the next generation election

4) Power has changed hands several times between parties since the country's foundation

[CHINA (PRC)]

1) Only one party (CCP) is allowed to hold power, with no legal mechanism to change this. There are minor parties, but they all must accept the CCP's rule, and cannot act in opposition. They are, therefore, worthless

2) No voting allowed, other than for local officials who hold no real political power (other than things like deciding garbage day), and cannot oppose the CCP

3) Leader changes conducted by the CCP. The people have no say at any point, as there are no general elections at all

4) Power has never changed hands since the country's (PRC) foundation, and there is no legal mechanism for it to do so

Like Japan, there has been only one ruling party.

Here you have ditched the sophistry and resorted to outright lies. Your statement is provably false, per my Wikipedia link above.

Ricky Kaminski13Today  08:21 am JST

Something about Ishiba that just gives me the creeps. The way he talks to the media and people as if he were giving a stern lecture to a child, he is confident I’ll give him that but there’s a background coldness and arrogance to him that just doesn’t work for me somehow. Very much get the feeling that he is talking down to everyone, not exactly endearing or high on the relatable scale.

I completely agree. There’s something about him that makes me feel very uncomfortable. I’ve never understood why public opinion considered him the most suitable candidate for prime minister.

@Kishida Spot on observation. Looks like he has all the smarts and charisma of a Mori.

I'll take a head of lettuce over this mook.

1) Only one party (CCP) is allowed to hold power, with no legal mechanism to change this.

You have shown my point that Japanese citizens do not directly vote for their prime minister whereas you previously wrote “of course they do.”

You now say they get to choose the ruling party, which was not the point of contention. You have not shown that they directly choose the prime minister.

As for more than one political party, yes as I wrote there is more than one political party in China. Your comment on those parties does not negate the fact that there is more than one party in China.

As much as you hate to admit, it is the ruling party and its factions, not the people, that choose the top leader in both China and Japan.

.

2) No voting allowed, other than for local officials who hold no real political power (other than things like deciding garbage day), and cannot oppose the CCP

It's as if you count one party in China and that is the extent of your critical thinking without considering the number of factions and the vetting one has to go through within the CPC in order to become a leader in China's meritocracy system. Consider human nature and the affinity for power and authority. Factions exists and function like political parties. I can assure you they oppose Xi Jingping. The strongest faction put forth their guy the same way representatives get behind theirs within the LDP.

 The party will take notice of public opinion when selecting the leader.

Hardly, public opinion only matters when the PM is sinking.

I completely agree. There’s something about him that makes me feel very uncomfortable. I’ve never understood why public opinion considered him the most suitable candidate for prime minister.

Ishiba has a blank stare and does not put forth the most congenial expression while he is thinking or making a point. This can come across intimidating and patronizing.

Press freedom don't lie and China is at the bottom of the world when it comes to that and democracy by extension.

3) Leader changes conducted by the CCP. The people have no say at any point, as there are no general elections at all

The party in Japan decides who the candidates are. You cannot just become a member of the LDP and a candidate. You are chosen by the party to be the candidate of the party.

Authoritarian nature exists in Japan in much the same way in China because they both share the same Confucian patriarchal values and culture. The difference is Japan has a shell, a front of a democratic process and system, forced upon them by the Constitution. To be truly democratic, the US should have allowed the Japanese themselves to choose the form of government the Japanese wish to have.

Shigero Ishiba may be an early front-runner, but with little charisma and offering more-of-the-same, I can't see him being No. 1 at the end.

My money's on Taro Kono, smart and articulate, he's a rampant moderniser (especially by Japanese standards), he's charismatic in a slightly quirky eccentric way, so he could prove to be a breath of fresh-air here. Any politician who can draw on humour as a default setting really should be encouraged.

Added to which, he's gold-standard in terms of personal altruism - over two decades ago, he gave his father part of his own liver to improve his father's chances of survival from hepatitis.

Let's see if he can survive the sclerotic approval processes of the LDP membership....

My dog, that picture of him is very depressing. He shoud be thinking about retirement but then, he is not dead yet.