Regarding the Nov. 21 article "DPJ will only back candidates who endorse policies": I personally welcome the Democratic Party of Japan's commitment to oblige its members to agree on a common set of policies. Too many political parties in Japan are united only by the desire to get elected. It is also commendable that the DPJ is not running second- or third-generation politicians as candidates, as this practice embodies a lot that's wrong with Japanese politics.
It says much about the Liberal Democratic Party that, having pledged to do the same thing in 2009, it has since chosen a third-generation Diet member as party president. This suggests a brazen lack of principles that seriously makes me wonder how they could possibly be leading in opinion polls. As disappointing as the DPJ has been as the ruling party, the LDP never seems to waste an opportunity to demonstrate that it is much, much worse.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.