Friday, August 26, 2011

Democratic Party of Japan to Select New Leader, Ozawa Backs Kaieda

Prime Minister Kan finally steps down now that the renewable energy legislation has passed, the ruling party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is going to hold an election to select the next party leader who will be the new prime minister of Japan.

The election is to be formally announced on August 27, and the voting will be on August 29, according to Jiji Tsushin (8/26/2011).

Jiji reports that there will be 5 candidates for the job. But it seems to boil down to two leading candidates backed by two warring factions within the DPJ.

On one side is Seiji Maeda, 49 years old former Minister of Foreign Affairs, backed by PM Kan and his faction. On the other, Banri Kaieda, 62 years old Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, backed by the faction led by Ichiro Ozawa and ex-PM Yukio Hatoyama, both of whom like to be the "king maker".

Banri Kaieda has been an unabashed proponent of nuclear power as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry that oversees the nuclear industry in Japan.

5 candidates are:

  • Seiji Maehara, age 49, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs

  • Yoshihiko Noda, age 54, Minister of Finance

  • Michihiko Kano, age 69, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

  • Sumio Mabuchi, age 51, ex-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

  • Banri Kaieda, age 62, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

Take your pick.

7 comments:

genpatsu yamero said...

Well I do not think, it will change a thing. The prime ministers in Japan change faster than the Sushies at the Kaiten Shushi Restaurant. Japan needs to drasticaly change their political system, giving the people more democratic power, via grassroots democracy ,e-government or more elections on important matters, for example the stopp of nuclear reactors and the deprivatization of the electric power companies. The main problem that cause the Fukushima accident is carruption (Amakudari), Japan needs to change their political system asap. For Japan and their people because they do not deserve another corrupt administration.

Anonymous said...

@genpatsu yamero, you are asking for two diametrically opposing things: grass roots democracy and deprivatization of the power companies. Who is going to manage the deprivatized entity? Government? Don't give me an answer like "third sector", which has been a disaster all over the world including Japan.

Anonymous said...

People get the government they deserve.

and now this:


Architects & Engineers - Solving the Mystery of WTC 7 - AE911Truth.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZEvA8BCoBw&feature=player_embedded#!

Anonymous said...

To: "August 26, 2011 4:29 PM Anonymous"

Anything is better than privatized companies policing themselves. Please go find another blog to disrupt you paid-off little bitch to the nuclear industry. Yeah, I'm sure "average citizens" are going to visit this blog and cry for the poor corporations--and badmouth the concept of 3rd party regulation. Seriously, go get your paycheck and STFU. And you can take Mr. "August 26, 2011 4:41 PM Anonymous said...People get the government they deserve." with you.

genpatsu yamero said...

@first anonymous from top to bottom:
grass roots democracy and deprivatization of the energy sector are not two diametrically opposing things. Of course you will have to change most of the beurocrats of the METI and MEXT because their are totaly corrupt. No private company in the world should run a nuclear power plant, no private insurance company will ever give a guarantee for a power plant. Which means that the State has to insure the power plants, if an accident happens the State is liable. That is a fact in all countries that have nuclear power plant. You have once again privatization of the earnings and socialisation of the pontential losses. And always the enery companies try to prolong the running time of their aged nuclear plants, because they want to squez more money out of their investment. They only care about their earnings and stockholders and not about an accidemt that could happen. Same happend thing happend in Japan with Tepco. The result is horrifying.

Anonymous said...

Okay, this will solve everything:

No regulation. No squabbling about private vs. government vs. the people.

DECOMMISSION ALL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, GLOBALLY!

Then we don't have to worry about funding, overseeing safety standards, creating more waste or accidents.

Switch to renewable energy sources--such as, wind and solar. Create jobs in these fields. Pull our globe out of economic trouble.

Problem solved!

Maju said...

From outside Japan what Genpatsu Yamero says is correct, IMO, and not just for Japan. All through the World we need more and real democracy and that means more popular participation in government and less private niches of power based on mere property privileges.

We need more democracy in government and more democracy in the economy at the same time. Something like TEPCO should be public (state-owned) and someone like Naoto Kan should be brought to popular justice for his crimes.

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