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COMMENTARY
Mar 16, 2006

How effective is local rule?

LONDON -- An elected representative cannot consult all constituents on every issue of importance and, in theory, at least should vote according to his own conscience. If electors are dissatisfied, they can turn him or her out at the next general election.
COMMENTARY
Jan 1, 2006

The year of Koizumi's exit

The year 2006 will mark a watershed for Japanese politics inasmuch as Junichiro Koizumi, who has ruled Japan for five years as one of the longest-serving prime ministers in the postwar era, insists that he will step down when his term as president of the governing Liberal Democratic Party expires.
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2005

DPJ's Goto resigns over campaign scandal

Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Masanori Goto submitted a letter of resignation Tuesday to House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono over the illegal rewards one of his aides paid to campaign workers in the Sept. 11 election.
EDITORIALS
Sep 20, 2005

Counting the overseas vote

Article 1 of the Constitution makes it clear that sovereign power resides with the people, and Article 15 says, "The people have the inalienable right to choose their public officials and to dismiss them." Thus the right to vote in elections is the most important constitutional right for Japanese citizens....
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2005

Koizumi's bare-knuckle power play may soon haunt him

Sunday's election for the Lower House stands out as abnormal, but not because of its abruptness. Many surprise elections have been held before. On March 14, 1953, for instance, then Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, who was president of the Liberal Party, dissolved the Lower House following the passage...
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2005

Postal dissident Watanuki opts to have it both ways

Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) leader Tamisuke Watanuki has decided to run in the Sept. 11 general election both in a single-seat district and in the proportional representation section of the ballot, party sources said Sunday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2005

Koizumi says postal dissenter may get on LDP ticket

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Saturday his Liberal Democratic Party may put postal rebel Eita Yashiro on the party's roster for the Tokyo proportional representation block in the Sept. 11 election.
COMMENTARY
Jun 23, 2005

Lively politics worries China

HONG KONG -- Although Taiwan's lat est constitutional reforms preclude any declaration of formal independence for the foreseeable future, they do strengthen Taiwan's democratic development.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2004

Tsuzuki's resignation approved

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the resignation of Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Yuzuru Tsuzuki following the Supreme Court's upholding of his aides' conviction for violating election laws.
COMMENTARY
Jul 27, 2004

DPJ's fortunes are rising

In the July 11 Upper House election, the opposition Democratic Party of Japan made dramatic gains, winning more seats than the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (50-49). The DPJ also surpassed the LDP in the proportional representation bloc of November's general election. With the two parties dominating...
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2004

Takenaka sibling rallied Misawa Homes' support

Executives at subsidiaries of Misawa Homes Holdings Inc., a financially troubled recipient of huge loans from UFJ Holdings Inc., had their employees assist the campaigning of Financial Services Minister Heizo Takenaka, who was elected to the House of Councilors in Sunday's election, according to his...
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2004

Last Greens Japan representative falls

Atsuo Nakamura, the leader and only member of the Greens Japan party in the House of Councilors, lost his seat in Sunday's election, according to the final results announced Monday by the Central Election Administration Committee.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2004

DPJ cleans up as LDP falls shy

The Democratic Party of Japan scored big gains in the House of Councilors election Sunday and was poised to outperform Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party in the number of seats won.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2004

DPJ finds favor with unaffiliated voters

More than half of the unaffiliated voters who cast ballots in Sunday's House of Councilors election threw their support behind the Democratic Party of Japan, according to Kyodo News exit polls.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2004

Party leaders make final campaign pitches

Leaders of the major parties made their final pitches Saturday ahead of the House of Councilors election, with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi calling on voters to support his reform efforts amid dismal forecasts for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION '04
Jul 7, 2004

Net-based campaigning still long way off

Candidates vying for House of Councilors seats in Sunday's election will not have the luxury of updating their positions or activities via the popular medium of the Internet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 22, 2004

DPJ needs more than union help at polls

On a recent evening, about 2,500 members of the UI Zensen labor federation filled a hall in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward to rally for fellow member Mitsuyoshi Yanagisawa, who will run in the July 11 House of Councilors election.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 20, 2004

New Komeito to emphasize noncombat SDF role in Iraq

With campaigning for the July 11 House of Councilors election officially starting Thursday, New Komeito leader Takenori Kanzaki says his party has to get the message out that the Self-Defense Forces will stick to humanitarian activities even after joining a U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq.
JAPAN
May 21, 2004

Editor of paper in Paraguay to be LDP candidate

The election panel of the Liberal Democratic Party decided Thursday to field the publisher of a Japanese-language newspaper in Paraguay as a candidate for the July Upper House election, party lawmakers said.
JAPAN
May 21, 2004

Editor of paper in Paraguay to be LDP candidate

The election panel of the Liberal Democratic Party decided Thursday to field the publisher of a Japanese-language newspaper in Paraguay as a candidate for the July Upper House election, party lawmakers said.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2004

By-election races focus on Iraq, pensions

The Japanese hostage crisis in Iraq and pension reform weighed heavy on the agenda as House of Representatives by-election campaigning kicked off Tuesday in Saitama, Hiroshima and Kagoshima prefectures.
COMMENTARY
Mar 13, 2004

Poll severely tests Indonesia

HONG KONG -- As the campaign for the triple-tiered Indonesian general election gets under way, the world's fourth-largest nation is displaying its democratic aspirations. It is also giving its weak administrative structure a severe test.
Japan Times
JAPAN / POLITICS IN FOCUS
Mar 2, 2004

Komeito torn between LDP, Soka Gakkai

When New Komeito backed the Liberal Democratic Party's decision to send the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq earlier this year, members of Soka Gakkai, Japan's largest lay Buddhist organization whose political arm is New Komeito, launched rare opposition to the party's decision.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2004

Upper House electoral system upheld

The Supreme Court on Wednesday endorsed the electoral system for the House of Councilors and the election of 2001, rejecting suits seeking to nullify the election over the system's alleged unconstitutionality.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2003

Nakasone still a believer in LDP, Japan

Although he is still smarting from his enforced retirement before last Sunday's election, former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone still backs the Liberal Democratic Party and the Junichiro Koizumi administration.

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