Japan’s Parliament Selects Yasuo Fukuda as New Prime Minister

Yasuo Fukuda won the job of Prime Minister of Japan after a rather strange couple of weeks. First, the ruling Liberal Democrats lost badly in the balloting for the upper house of the parliament, losing control of the chamber. Then, Prime Miniter Shinzo Abe resigned and checked himself into a hospital for stress-related disease. Things got more complicated when the lower house selected Mr. Fukuda while the upper house backed opposition bigwig Taro Aso. A conference committee couldn’t agree, so the lower house’s decision prevails. It wasn’t the most glorious ride to power, and Mr. Fukuda has a very full in-tray.

Internationally, Japan is reaching something of a crossroads. The rise of China, the obstinacy of North Korea, and the relative decline of American power in the western Pacific all require Japan to reconsider its role in the region. A bit more military might, a bit more diplomatic aggressiveness and a bit less business for the sake of business are all in order. Mr. Fukuda is seen as something of a dove, and he may not, therefore, be the right man for the job.

At home, Mr. Fukuda has a real problem with rural voters, traditionally the main-stay of the LDP. Recent economic reforms have largely bypassed them, and indeed, some say that the reforms have been harmful to these voters. More spending in the countryside could help, but Japan’s debt load is now around 1.5% of GDP, a bit steep.

Anything he tries to achieve is going to suffer the scrutiny of the opposition in the upper house. They have the votes to eviscerate legislation, prevent it from coming to a vote, and generally being disruptive. He could try to compromise if there is any common ground, but it is hard to see any.

That means he could opt for a general election. The opposition, smelling blood, wants a vote right away. Having won one chamber, they could make significant gains in the lower house. For that reason, Mr. Fukuda may put any election talk on the back burner. In the end, though, he may not have any choice; it that is so, maybe it’s a case of “the sooner the better.”

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Home