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Politics
The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Yoshimi Watanabe
Tokyo -- Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe is basking in his newfound role as the potential kingmaker of the Japanese Diet.
While the DPJ's support rate sinks, Your Party has seen its public support surge to between 12-16% depending on the poll, putting New Komeito into the shade and consolidating its position as Japan's third party.
Your Party now controls 11 crucial seats in the House of Councillors.
However, the possibility of a DPJ-YP coalition has now receded, especially in light of the very poor performance of the DPJ on Sunday. Even if the two parties collaborated, they would likely not be able to form an effective majority without the addition of a few more seats.
Moreover, Watanabe is getting feisty, saying that he wants an LDP politician to become the next head of the House of Councillors to replace the DPJ's Satsuki Eda.
Watanabe is also pushing administrative reform and demanding that the Bank of Japan ease its monetary policy so as to encourage inflation to a rate of about 2%.
Kaoru Yosano of the Sunrise Party of Japan is already speaking out about Watanabe's burgeoning influence, advising the DPJ to form a grand coalition with the LDP rather than "give in to a small party of around ten lawmakers."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku himself has expressed pessimism that the ruling party will be really able to work with Watanabe once things get down to the nuts and bolts of policymaking.
For his part, Watanabe has strongly criticized the DPJ's reliance on support from labor unions and seems more comfortable in the role of scourge than of team player.
The bottom line is that Your Party will want to stay outside of the government in order to benefit from infighting among the larger parties, which may allow them to pick up additional lawmakers who show up at their door asking for membership.
If Watanabe's popularity holds, this may become a viable strategy.
PanOrient News
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