The result of the election to choose a new president of the Liberal Democratic Party will be announced today. This will end a domestic political vacuum that has persisted since Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori revealed his intention of stepping down, over a month ago.
What we are witnessing is not a change of power between political parties, but a change of power between intraparty factions of the LDP. That is why no candidate is offering, for example, a basic strategy for regaining international confidence in Japan by restoring the soundness of the economy.
It is really unfortunate for the Japanese that an election to select the nation's top leader is being conducted on the basis of factional considerations.