No Big Difference Seen

Seeking resilience from bitter defeat in the general election last month, Constitutional Democratic Party, second largest among all national parties, elected Kenta Izumi for their new president on Tuesday. While he was successful in reuniting the party to some extent, obtaining firm support from each inner groups, it was still not clear when and how he would take the administrative power back from leading Liberal Democratic Party. No one in CDP even seems to expect him to be Prime Minister so soon. Japanese politics will not see no change from the structure of solar system centered by LDP.

    After reducing the seats in the election of House of Representative a month ago, the party leader and founder Yukio Edano announced his resignation without detailed assessment of the result of the race. The main issue must have been whether cooperation in the election with Japan Communist Party was good or bad. But, no one of four candidates for the president referred to the future of the relationship.

When LDP started coalition with Komeito decades ago, main reason was to get support in the election. It is common in Japan that electoral cooperation between parties means administrative coalition. Nevertheless, some in CDP were highly negative against coalition with JCP. There was certain reluctance of Japanese Trade Union Confederation, traditionally the main supporter of CDP, to work together with JCP.

    Leaving review of the defeat behind, the presidential election was a competition about fixing the damaged party. First thing the newly elected president said was that he would include other three candidates into his board members. It would not be strange because no one upheld any eccentric policy unacceptable to anyone. Sending helping hands to suffered people, narrowing gender gap or stand against leading LDP was what every candidate appealed to the voters. Unfortunately, those policies focused on common people were already adopted by LDP administration led by Fumio Kishida. CDP was not successful in making obvious difference from its rival.

    One thing new about CDP is rejuvenation in leadership. Izumi, 47, becomes the youngest leader in main national parties. It can be an appealing point for the party to show fresh restart from the failure of reaching people under previous leadership. Whether all the party members recognize the serious crisis of the party and be united for supporting young leader would be the key.

    Other opposite parties such as National Democratic Party or Restoration Party increased the seats in the general election. Stressing political realism of policy achievement through discussion with leading party, those opposites take closer stance to LDP than CDP. As an effect of rising conservatives and declining liberals narrows choice of voters who are skeptical on handlings of LDP administration.

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