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Japanese election campaign under way
October 8, 1996
Web posted at: 5:20 p.m. EDT (2120 GMT)From Correspondent Bill Dorman
TOKYO (CNN) -- About 1,500 candidates for Japan's lower house of parliament officially began a 12-day campaign Tuesday, leading up to the October 20 general election.
"We have entered an era of great change and Japan is struggling," said Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto at his first campaign stop in Tokyo. "We must change the system governing this country."
Some analysts are predicting a low turnout, partly because voters are discouraged with the recent chaos in Japanese politics. But still, Hashimoto and his fellow Liberal Democratic Party candidates are on the campaign trail pushing for an end to coalition governments and a return to LDP rule.
In the 10 years after World War II, Japan went through 10 governments, and a series of ruling parties. Then, in 1955, the LDP formed its first government and began a 38-year domination of Japanese politics.
That era came to a close with a no confidence vote and a fall from power in 1993, when the LDP discovered it could not monopolize political power forever.
"The changing age just started from 1993," says Kazuhide Uekusa, a senior economist at Nomura Research Institute, "but I can't say that this kind of change has finished."
In three years, Japanese politics has shown little sign of ending the period of change. And with the demise of the LDP's grip on power, change has meant coalition governments.
Morihiro Hosokawa lasted less than a year atop an unwieldy eight-party coalition; Tsutomu Hata headed a minority government for all of two months. Then something very strange happened.
Socialist Tomiichi Murayama became prime minister of a government largely comprised of his long-time political rivals, the LDP. Murayama held on longer than may expected - - until this January, when he was replaced by Hashimoto, the head of the LDP.
As trade minister, Hashimoto had worked through a confrontation with the U.S. over automobiles. And as prime minister, he's handled the issue of U.S. troops in Okinawa, met with other international leaders, and helped keep the economy from sliding into a ditch.
Analysts say that, should the LDP win the election, and the coalition government remains supportive, he is likely to be chosen prime minister again.
Hashimoto would much prefer to head a government that returns to total control of the LDP, but most analysts say that is highly unlikely.
Related stories:
- New party formed in Japan as elections near - September 28, 1996
- Japanese prime minister dissolves parliament, calls election - September 27, 1996
- Japan's prime minister tries to outflank new party - September 24, 1996
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