Search - local-elections

 
 
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2011

Rough ride awaiting Mr. Kan

Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed his political hopes for 2011 at a news conference Tuesday, including his determination to end money-tainted politics and his wish to hold consultations with the opposition forces on reform of the social welfare system and reform of the tax system, which would include...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2007

TV entertainer voted Miyazaki governor

," said Higashi, 49, an apprentice of comedian Beat Takeshi, after learning he had won. "We must change Miyazaki together." Higashi, 49, whose real name is Hideo Higashikokubaru, apparently attracted voters by shedding his image as a comedian and receiving no backing by any political party.
EDITORIALS
Mar 8, 2003

Alarm bells ring in Iran

Conservatives claimed victory in local elections held throughout Iran last week. Hardliners are rejoicing over the results -- not only did they win the ballots, but the turnout also suggests that reformers have lost heart. Warnings of a backlash are not without foundation, but the hardliners' control...
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2002

Disunity in the DPJ

The new leadership of the Democratic Party of Japan, headed by Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, faces a bumpy road ahead as it begins steering a party wracked by internal rifts. The sharp discord that surfaced over the selection of the party's secretary general following the Sept. 23 presidential election is symbolic...
EDITORIALS
Jun 11, 2002

Loya Jirga gets down to business

A fghanistan takes a crucial step toward building a viable future this week with the convening of a grand assembly of tribal elders. The Loya Jirga will pick a government that will rule the country until general elections are held. While the conclave has been long anticipated, and is critical to the...
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2001

LDP wins big in Tokyo assembly election

Tokyo voters rescued Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party on Sunday, giving the battered party 53 seats in the metropolitan assembly and a new lease on life.
COMMENTARY
Apr 16, 2001

The curse of 'shikata ga nai'

"The Japanese phrase that I particularly hate is 'shikata ga nai,' (it can't be helped)" said a friend who had spent some years teaching in Japan. I responded that it was surely appropriate if you were driving a car and the traffic lights turned red just when you got to them. She accepted that in such...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2023

At CDP convention, clarity on opposition cooperation in short supply

The opposition party's plan for this year lacks a significant blueprint or concrete signals on how it will build long-term partnerships with other parties.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 18, 2021

‘Entire families’ wiped out as COVID-19 ravages rural India

As leaders in Delhi struggle to contain the crisis, horrifying scenes are playing out across the country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2018

Diet passes nonbinding legislation aimed at increasing women in politics

The Diet passed a bill Wednesday seeking to boost the number of female lawmakers and assembly members in a nation where women have long been underrepresented in politics.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 25, 2018

Second try at Osaka merger referendum faces stiff headwinds

Political group Osaka Ishin plans to give the unpopular consolidation plan another go despite multiple uncertainties.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 7, 2017

GOP cuts to homeowner tax breaks threaten to cost Republicans in 2018 races, hit property values

Laura Russo is just the kind of voter the Republicans need, but the party's proposed tax overhaul, which includes limits on the deductions for mortgage interest, state taxes and property taxes, is pushing her away.
EDITORIALS
Nov 21, 2000

An electoral tremor in Tochigi

Yet another basic change has jolted Japan's established regional power structure. This time around, it occurred in Sunday's gubernatorial election in Tochigi Prefecture, in which "floating voters" succeeded in demonstrating their political power. Riding on the strength of such unorganized voters, a 52-year-old...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Dec 12, 2022

Kishida's plan to fund higher defense spending faces backlash

The prime minister's suggestion of tax increases hasn't gone down well, even among Cabinet members and lawmakers from his own party.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jun 16, 2021

Experts say India missed early alarm and let deadly coronavirus variant spread

Despite warnings that the variant was taking hold, the federal government allowed election rallies, religious festivals and other mass gatherings to proceed.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2019

Osaka leaders win in elections to swap roles, but merger prospects unclear

Osaka voters appear to have done little to shift the political landscape from where it was before polls opened Sunday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 23, 2018

U.S. election security steps hobbled by Congress-White House funds feud

A battle between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democrats over federal funding to help secure November's U.S. elections stymied legislation in Congress on Wednesday, at least for now, that is aimed at thwarting Russian meddling by strengthening states' voting procedures.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 1, 2018

Liberal Democratic Party campaign: Abe and rivals home in on local concerns

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's top political goal remains constitutional revision, including changing Article 9's war-renouncing clause. But for Liberal Democratic Party chapters across the country, priorities tend to be on local issues, especially securing financial assistance from Tokyo for all manner...
EDITORIALS
Jan 13, 2018

The need to sustain local autonomy

The autonomous powers of Japan's prefectures and municipalities remain insufficient.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Oct 2, 2016

Comparing elections in the U.S. and Japan: the good, the bad and the ugly

I love elections. Anywhere. It's fascinating to see how politicians craft public appeals. No matter how flawed the process, it's how nation-states recharge their legitimacy and publicly reaffirm their leaders' mandate to govern.
EDITORIALS
Mar 24, 2016

Greater opportunities to vote

Municipalities must do their best to make it easier for residents to vote in upcoming elections.
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Oct 25, 2015

Osaka elections pull LDP closer to old foes

The Osaka chapter of the Japanese Communist Party calls on its members to back LDP candidates in November's mayoral and gubernatorial elections.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a news conference during a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12.
COMMENTARY / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 27, 2023

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From a weak anti-war leader to a symbol of the fight for liberation

Shifting away from direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's leader has called for weapons and galvanized national unity in the face of war.
Taiwan officials have repeatedly warned that China is trying to sway voters toward candidates seeking closer ties with Beijing, whose government has framed the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between "peace and war."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 13, 2023

Chinese forces neared Taiwan to 'intimidate' voters before elections

Taiwan's military drove away four attempts by Chinese forces to approach the island's sensitive contiguous zone last month, Taiwan security officials said, in what they see as a ramped-up Chinese campaign to "intimidate" voters before key elections.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike meets with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday following her victory in Sunday's gubernatorial election.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2024

Sense of crisis remains in LDP over next general election

The LDP suffered a major defeat in Sunday’s Tokyo metropolitan assembly by-elections, adding to their string of recent national and local losses.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike poses with Liberal Democratic Party members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on July 8, following her win for a third term in the gubernatorial election the previous day.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 10, 2024

After Tokyo governor poll, eyes turn to 2025 assembly election

Both the Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are under pressure to regroup ahead of the quadrennial metropolitan assembly election.
Motohiko Saito talks to reporters on Monday after his reelection as Hyogo governor. His surprising comeback highlights rising populism in Japan.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 22, 2024

Has the age of populism finally reached Japan?

Motohiko Saito's reelection in Hyogo sparks concerns over populist trends in Japan's politics.
Shinji Ishimaru announces details of his new regional party at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 15, 2025

With new regional party, Shinji Ishimaru touts rebirth

The former mayor of Akitakata in Hiroshima Prefecture aims to field candidates in July's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election.

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