My opinion of this week(282):

Weak-hearted Democratic Party

The last Diet session was over after rejecting nonconfidense motion 
against Koizumi Cabinet presented by opposition group of parties. That 
is a kind of routine process. Prime Minister Koizumi made such a 
remark as that is the evidence of confidence against Koizumi Cabinet
by people of the whole nation. People were disappointed again with 
such empty move of the present politics.

We have observed so many scandals caused by lawmakers of ruling
Liberal Democratic Party and lost confidence against the present
politics. Nevertheless, Koizumi Cabinet is keeping almost 50% of
popular vote recovering the former popularity. Why is this?

That is because there is no candidates for next Prime Minister
in ruling Liberal Democratic Party who will be able to replace
Koizumi. What's more, according to the observation by people of
this country, there is no opposition parties which have ability 
to hold the reins of government on behalf of Liberal Democratic
Party including Democratic Party, the largest opposition party
at the moment. 

The editorial of Nekkei Newspaper of July 29th wrote about it
with the title saying "presenting daringly unpleasant but wholesome
advice against presence of Democratic Party". The editorial of
Nikkei Newspapers are usually very common but not quite impressive.
But this one was very timely and appropriate in their contents.

Unless Democratic Party will be able to change their body-build
weakness , they will never get a power and will lose their presence
as a political party in the long run. The issue is not only 
the matter of a political party. It is a serious concern for
the whole Japanese politics.

There are some dispute inside of the Party among party members
concerning candidates of next President. That is fine if they
are arguing the issue relating with basic party line or their
policies on such key principles as to defense and security and/
or constitution. But they are not doing much of that unfortunately. 

A number of young lawmakers in the party who were elected 
in rather recent years, are trying to elect younger candidates
rather than President Hatoyama and General Secretary Kan. The
image of youngness seems to be just important rather than
policies and principles of party lines. They thought that the
reason for low popular rate to the Party is the lack of freshness
of those party leaders. Yes, that may be partly true. 

But the major reason for low popular rate of the party is the 
lack of core presence of principle as a political party. For
example, there are a great discrepancy as to such basic policies
as defense and security for there exists mixture of former
member of Liberal Democratic Party, Socialist Party and
Democratic Socialist Party, etc. in the Party. 

The difference in those policy matters are so obvious but they
don't argue too much about them avoiding serious conflict. 
People knows it.

Another example is that they don't show any clear stance on
coming gubernatorial election to be held in Nagano Prefecture.
Which one do they support? Former Governor Tanaka or Prefecture
Assembly? They should clarify that with a certain reason as
a political party which stress the importance of local 
autonomy.

As also pointed out in the editorial of Nikkei Newspaper, Japanese
have a strong political awareness today. Their political consciousness
is much higher than what those lawmakers imagine. It seems that
leaders of Democratic Party as well as young groups do not 
aware with that fact that people of Japan lose confidence with 
such weakness of Democratic Party. 

They should look at the fact first, before talking about candidate
of next President.

2002/8/3
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(273)

Continuous effort and implementation vest you power

Except one week of summer vacation and new year holidays, I never stop
renewing my home page once a week. I keep writing "My opinion of
this week" once a week and update my home page with two set of new 
Senryu which is a short 17-syllable satirical poem consisting of
5,7,5 words just like Haiku. I have continued this for over five 
years. Thanks to this practice, I believe I could have got a big 
intellectual power.

I don't know how I can answer to the question what kind of a power that
really is.  But whenever I try to write something every week, I just
struggle what I write about. I keep watching all sort of accidents and
happenings in politics and in Japanese and international society. Through
their  observation and study, I choose one theme to write "My opinion of
this week." Whatever accidents and happenings they are, I try to 
extract political, social and cultural meaning of such happenings and
write basic theme about them. That is a good practice of writing sentence
and cultivate a way of thinking about any problems.

Coincidentally, there was an argument about the importance of
making consistent and basic effort to train any of our intelligence and
ability in any fields.  The proverb says "Continuous effort and 
implementation vest you power." Participants for the discussion agree
with that point.

I missed to update my home page for over two weeks first time in five
years since I started my home page. I determined to restart updating
home page once a week without fail until the end of this year.

2002/8/24
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(284):

Comprehensible process of democracy

" A candidate who supports former Governor Tanaka on construction of dam
was elected as a new mayor of Shimosuwa City in Nagano Prefecture. This
is of course, a big dismay for those prefecture assembly members who were 
electected from this district. We,  all people of this country, would 
like to see the same kind of change at the general election to come
in near future. "  - Comment by Horiuchi-san presented at TadML
  
As reported in many mass media, there are probably some problems with the 
qualification of former Governor Tanaka of Nagano Prefecture. There are
many reasons for pro and con concerning construction of dam in the
prefecture. For the people who live outside of Nagano, the issue is very
difficult to decide which is right or wrong. 

But regardless any of such arguments, the most important fact is that 
massive inhabitants of the prefecture support Tanaka and his policy to stop
constructing any dams in the future. Why do assemblymen of the prefecture
not admit the fact? Why do they now dismay with the result of mayor's 
election at Shimosuwa Prefecture?

The gubenotoral election will be made soon. The politics and administration
of Nagano will change further. That's fine indeed. Very comprehensive 
process of democracy.
　
On the other hand, it seems that there are no symptom of change as far as
the National Diet is concerned. Lawmakers who lobby on behalf of special
interest and in turn benefit from their effort continue to show great 
resistance on the reform of postal business and construction of highway
throughout the country. If Prime Minister Koizumi wants to realize the 
reform that he advocated, he should confront more strongly with many of
those lawmakers who resist to his basic principles of the reform. 

He should finally dissolve the Diet after clarifying all points of arguments
concerning his basic reform to fulfill regardless loosing support from
ruling Liberal Democratic Party and other coalitions. That is the way he
should take which is most understandable  for people of this country and
comprehensible process of democracy.

Prime Minister Koizumi is not trying to do it. He made a number of
councils and project teams to discuss many issues. He let councils 
members discuss issues and is looking on them with folded arms. When
there are some opposition expressed from a certain lawmaker groups, he
excite them to anger by saying various evocative words. And he finally
compromises those opposition when those anger reach to critical point.
Then he postpone the real reform to the future. That is a method of
his politics.

It is true that it takes time to realize any reforms. But it seems 
Koizumi's reform takes much longer time as he advocates. The reason
is that he had made a lot of compromise with those resistance groups.
He should never compromise on many of basic principles of reforms.
That is  the reason why people and world question his process of 
reform and total stance on politics. 

2002/8/31
Tadashi HAYASE