Prime Minister Taro Aso, who also heads the Liberal Democratic Party, and Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa each showed resolve at their parties' respective conventions Sunday to win the coming Lower House election. The election will be held by September when the current Lower House members' term expires.
In the LDP convention, Mr. Aso expressed his determination to maintain the LDP-led government, stating that the LDP is the only party with the ability to work out measures to pull Japan out of its current economic crisis. Mr. Ozawa said at the DPJ's convention that the time has come to completely change the nation's system and create a new Japan, emphasizing that this is the only way to protect people's lives. Despite their strong words, however, both parties have weak points.
The public's memory is still fresh of how Mr. Aso wasted precious time in failing to promptly submit a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 to the Diet session that ended in December. The approval rating of the Aso Cabinet is also low.