Japan’s Suga will focus on structural reform

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Structural Reform ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Fiscal Stimulus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Private Demand ◽  
Indefinite Future

Significance All this and more will be necessary as he confronts entrenched interests embedded by decades of rarely interrupted Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule. Impacts It is now accepted that fiscal stimulus will continue into the indefinite future. With interest rates near zero and insufficient private demand, there will be little concern about deficits. ‘Digitalisation’ will be a major focus for Suga, creating opportunities for the IT sector.

Constitution will overshadow Japan election campaign

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Party Politics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
House Election ◽  
Voting Age ◽  
First Time

Subject The outlook for legislation and party politics ahead of the July upper house election. Significance Now in his fourth year as prime minister, Shinzo Abe enjoys strong public support and faces no serious challenger. In an upper house election in July, his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) hopes to capture enough seats to call a referendum on revising the constitution -- Abe's ultimate political aim. Impacts Abe will use Japan's hosting of the G7 summit in May to present himself as a world statesman. A new emphasis on welfare and social inclusion will not come at the expense of the LDP's traditional pro-business policies. TPP ratification is likely before May. With the voting age lowered for the first time to 18, the more socially progressive but less pacificist youth vote becomes more important.

Moscow's solution for protest region is ill-judged

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Electoral Support ◽  
Rule Change ◽  
Gubernatorial Election ◽  
Regional Elections

Significance Khabarovsk is entering a third week of sustained protests following the arrest of regional governor Sergey Furgal. The Kremlin has not responded to this act of rebellion and has instead produced a hierarchical solution, installing a replacement governor with none of the skills needed in this explosive situation. Impacts The timing means that (barring a rule change) Khabarovsk's gubernatorial election is likely next year, not this. The protests in Khabarovsk and elsewhere may damage electoral support for United Russia in regional and parliamentary elections. A new law allowing voting over several days, initially in regional elections, will permit manipulation to keep United Russia's vote up. If the situation deteriorates, the president will shift the blame onto the Liberal Democratic Party.

Kremlin wants 2018 Russian poll to give real mandate

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Narrative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Fourth Term ◽  
The Government ◽  
One Year

Subject Kremlin strategy for the 2018 presidential election. Significance With one year to go before the 2018 presidential election, the Kremlin strategy that will frame the process is starting to take shape. The nature of Vladimir Putin’s campaign has a bearing on his fourth term, during which he must either identify a successor or engineer an extension of his tenure beyond 2024. Impacts Putin will rally populist sentiment on the back of foreign policy successes in Crimea and Syria. A possible rapprochement with the United States would restrict the national narrative of ‘Russia encircled’. The Liberal Democratic Party and the Communist candidates will criticise the government but will not run opposition campaigns.

Abe's election win opens way to revise Constitution

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The Us ◽  
Near Future ◽  
First Time ◽  
Stimulus Package

Significance The governing coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) made gains, with the LDP itself now controlling exactly half the seats in the chamber. Parties in favour of revising Japan's Constitution captured the two-thirds supermajority necessary to call a referendum on the question for the first time ever. Impacts An economic stimulus package is likely soon. Parliamentary opposition to relocation of the US Futenma airbase has strengthened -- a setback for Japan-US relations. New foreign policy initiatives are likely in the near future. Cooperation among opposition parties paid off, and may become more common in future.

Re-elected Abe will focus on constitution

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
The Other ◽  
Party Leader ◽  
Japanese History ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic

Subject The implications of Shinzo Abe's re-election for another term as party leader. Significance Shinzo Abe’s re-election to the post of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president on September 20 makes it likely that he will continue to serve as prime minister until September 2021. In November 2019 he will become the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history. Impacts Promotions to the new cabinet will give indications of who might run for party leader next time round. If Washington imposes tariffs, Japan will probably retaliate. Japan will try to strengthen relations with the other two members of the ‘Quad’ (India and Australia).

Ishiba cannot rival Abe for Japan leadership yet

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Security Policy ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Party Leader ◽  
Good Sense ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The Us

Subject A profile of Shigeru Ishiba. Significance Ishiba was runner-up to Abe in the 2012 leadership contest for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and since then has positioned himself to replace Abe as party leader and prime minister should Abe's popularity falter. A poll last month showed that 20.4% of the public wanted Ishiba as prime minister compared with Abe's 19.7%, a dramatic swing since December, when Abe had 34.5% and Ishiba just 10.9%. Impacts Security policy is Ishiba's strength; he has well-developed views and a good sense of what is realistic. Ishiba's critique of Abenomics is lucid, but he has yet to offer a clear alternative. Washington would likely welcome an Ishiba government since he has good connections in the US defence establishment. Ishiba's Christianity may also win him points in Washington.

Russian Duma polls pave way for Putin's re-election

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Communist Party ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Constitutional Amendments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Vladimir Putin

Significance Turnout was low, but President Vladimir Putin and other officials have dismissed the significance of this. The new parliament will contain the same parties as its predecessor: United Russia, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and Just Russia. The liberal opposition failed to increase its low level of support. United Russia's success is a victory for Dmitry Medvedev, whose position as prime minister seems more secure than before. Impacts United Russia's three-quarters Duma majority will simplify the passage of constitutional amendments. This power may be used after the 2018 presidential election to remove limits on Putin's terms in office. The 50% of new Duma members who represent constituencies are liable to lobby for local interests. The low turnout suggests opposition-minded voters are demoralised or apathetic.

Influence of nationalist group will rise in Tokyo

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Patriotic Education ◽  
Promote Gender Equality ◽  
Yasukuni Shrine ◽  
Long Term Trend

Subject A profile of the Nippon Kaigi. Significance Of the 90 parliamentarians who visited the controversial Yasukuni war shrine on April 21, most, if not all, were members of a right-wing nationalist group called Nippon Kaigi. Nearly all of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party cabinet colleagues since 2012 have been members. Abe himself is a ‘special adviser’ to the group. Key elements of the group's agenda are reverence for the emperor, reform of the Constitution, worship at the Yasukuni war shrine, patriotic education and deployment of Japan's defence forces overseas. Impacts Nippon Kaigi's growing influence suggests a long-term trend of greater friction with China and the Koreas. The group's influence will hold back efforts to promote gender equality, immigration and 'Western-style' human rights. Abe may be tempted to visit the Yasukuni shrine, hoping that the new administration in Washington will not penalise this.

Election losses set back Abe's plans

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
Left Main ◽  
Generational Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Ruling Party

Significance Abe's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its long-time coalition partner won a comfortable majority but not the two-thirds supermajority in the house that Abe would need to ensure passage of revisions to Japan's constitution, even with the support of the 16 representatives of the pro-revision Japan Innovation Party. Impacts The nucleus of a new centre-left main opposition may be forming. Women were poorly represented, undermining Abe's professed commitment to gender equality. Japan's younger voters show a preference for the conservative ruling party, suggesting generational change will not bring political change.

Tokyo election setback weakens Abe's leadership

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Liberal Democratic Party ◽  
General Election ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tokyo Metropolitan ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Local Cooperation ◽  
Parliamentary Politics

Subject The results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. Significance The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections held on July 2 resulted in a massive endorsement for Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and amounted to a serious blow for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Allied with the Komeito party, Koike's group now controls the assembly. This is the worst ever result for Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a Tokyo election, worse even than the 38 seats it got in July 2009 shortly before the LDP lost power in the general election later that year. Impacts Koike can now bargain harder with the central government over the Olympics and other issues requiring central-local cooperation. The election has exposed the main opposition Democratic Party's failure to exploit LDP weakness effectively. The dominance of local parties in three major cities is unlikely to translate into a new force in parliamentary politics.

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