The view that the prime minister should be elected by popular vote is gaining ground. Ironically, it is Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori himself -- one of the most unpopular prime ministers in memory -- that is contributing to this groundswell of opinion. It is not just ordinary citizens, academics and business executives that are calling for the direct election of the nation's chief executive. Many politicians, including members of Mr. Mori's Liberal Democratic Party, have joined the chorus.
Early this month, in a stunning jab at Mr. Mori, LDP members of the Osaka prefectural assembly proposed a direct voting system. Behind this move is the public's growing cynicism toward politics. Contributing to the public mistrust is the perception that representative democracy in Japan is not working as it should. That is part of the reason why residents throughout the nation are increasingly demanding referendums.
Beyond that, however, politicians in favor of a popularly elected prime minister seem to have ulterior motives. Some are apparently trying to stir up public debate on constitutional revision by advocating direct prime ministerial elections. It is also likely that political parties see a popular vote as an opportunity to prepare for the future reorganization of politics.