It is a foregone conclusion that Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe will win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election Wednesday. He is then likely to be named prime minister at an extraordinary Diet session a week later and to launch a new Cabinet.
Abe, with "open conservatism" as the theme of his policy agenda, has expressed determination to make a new start from the "postwar regime." Specifically, he is advocating constitutional amendments and more assertive diplomacy for Japan. If he tries only to follow up on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reform legacy, he will end up as Koizumi's imitator. As a new leader, he must present a new vision for the nation.
The reforms launched by Koizumi are only half-finished, and Abe's announced policy agenda for his administration is only a broad outline so far. Among the first challenges the new government will face are reforming the social security system, balancing the budget and mending Japan's strained diplomatic relations with its Asian neighbors -- to offset the negative part of Koizumi's legacy.