September 5, 2012
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2012 September 5 - 11 [POLITICS]
LDP presidential election field is crowded with many candidates |
Apparently they have great expectations to become prime minister following the anticipated downfall of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
At present, those who announced their candidacy for the election are incumbent LDP President Tanigaki Sadakazu, former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, former Agriculture Minister Ishiba Shigeru, LDP Secretary General Ishihara Nobuteru, and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Machimura Nobutaka.
Tanigaki, Ishihara, and Machimura are the persons involved in concluding the three-party agreement on the consumption tax hike with the DPJ and Komei Party. They had a hand in influencing the DPJ’s breach of its election promises.
Abe, an advocate of constitutional revision, implemented the draconian “structural reform” policies when he served as the prime minister.
His aggressive stance to revise the Constitution and his policies which increased the poverty rate and widened the gap between the rich and the poor faced widespread public criticism and concern which led to his downfall. The LDP headed by Abe in the 2007 House of Councilors election suffered a heavy loss, but he showed his intent to stick to his position as the prime minister. However, he suddenly abandoned his position one month later.
Recently, Abe suggested cooperating with Osaka’s local political party led by Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto Toru. This makes him out to be a front-runner in the race.
Ishiba is a well-known hawk and advocates a strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military alliance and working for constitutional revision.
Without reflecting on the public move to end the LDP-Komei government in the 2009 House of Representatives general election, these candidates are entering the presidential contest with the goal of becoming the next prime minister. This is an extreme example of outright political decay.
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