Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The Japanese have voted for change in a historic verdict that passes power from a party which has ruled for half of the past century. That a relative newcomer,the Democratic Party of Japan DPJ,has ended the Liberal Democratic Partys LDP monopoly over Japanese politics is momentous. The outcome of these elections has set the stage for a more politically involved Japan.
The hyper-modernised,industry-savvy Japan of the post-war era,born of both Japan Inc and the LDP,is at odds with current reality. The amicable relationship between politicians and bureaucrats has altered over the years; with the devastating effects of the Lost Decade of the 1990s,turned somewhat sour. Scandals ranging from bribery,insider-trading to money laundering rocked the government,causing calls for a clean-up to be heard from most segments of society. The processes allowing for multi-party rule have not been institutionalised overnight though. Electoral reforms were first introduced in the 1990s; by 1994 the mechanisms for a new electoral system were in place. The argument is that government had become too big,policymakers too weak,bureaucrats too powerful. Single-party domination was simply not an efficient enough way to run Japan.
This development,though welcomed by a cross-section of Japanese society,needs to be carefully watched. Given that the DPJ consists of politicians ranging across the political spectrum from left to right,it will have to battle its own factions. Furthermore,there have already been signs of divisions within the party over the landmark Article 9 of Japans constitution,which prohibits the former imperial power from either maintaining a military and or using force. The DPJ is untested. Although the newcomer may have driven the old stalwart from power,its task changing Japan is likely only beginning.
