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Japanese voters go to the polls
Businessman among 100s seeking seat in Parliament
October 19, 1996
Web posted at: 10:00 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT)From Correspondent May Lee
Tokyo (CNN) -- As the Japanese began voting Sunday, Tetsundo Iwakuni was determined to win a seat in Japan's powerful lower house of Parliament.
It's his first bid for a political post on a national level after a successful stint as mayor of Izumo from 1989 to 1995.
Iwakuni used his extensive experience as an international investment banker in Tokyo, New York, London and Paris to turn the city of Izumo into a well-run business -- cutting costs, improving service and reducing bureaucracy. He says he has similar plans for Japan, and voters have a "high expectation" of what he will do in national politics.
But Iwakuni has plenty of competition: five competitors in his district. Nationwide, there are a record 1,503 candidates from nine political parties vying for 500 seats in the lower house, which chooses the prime minister.
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Iwakuni has another challenge as well. His party, Shinshinto, or the New Frontier Party, is up against the country's oldest and most powerful political force -- the Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.
Hashimoto was hoping for a big turnout to help his Liberal Democratic Party win back sole power. Liberal Democrats have held 206 parliamentary seats.
Shinshinto opposes the LDP's plans to raise the national sales tax from 3 percent to 5 percent, and is promising instead to cut income taxes by 50 percent. Iwakuni has been pushing his party's finance proposals.
"This audience is worried about the LDP," he said. "(The LDP) might use their power in the future again and again to increase the consumer tax in order to satisfy the LDP's past supporters, such as large industries or special interest groups."
But the LDP is expected to do well in the elections, with some predicting it may reclaim a majority in the lower house. Before the 1993 election, the LDP had dominated Japanese politics for nearly four decades. Since then, four prime ministers have led a series of coalition governments.
But Iwakuni is not giving up. The outcome will depend largely on undecided voters with no party affiliation, which recent polls indicate make up 30 percent of Japan's possible election day turnout.
Political leaders have described the election as a "landmark" and "turning point" because it will elect a government for the next four years to lead Japan into the 21st century.
Related stories:
- Japanese election campaign under way - October 8, 1996
- 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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