With chants of "change," the Democratic Party of Japan won control of government in the Lower House election Sunday in a historic victory that left the once-dominant Liberal Democratic Party in tatters.
The DPJ's triumph will push the LDP out of power for only the second time since it was formed in 1955, and make a prime minister out of DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama.
"The voters held a deep anger toward the ruling coalition," Hatoyama told reporters Sunday night. "We have to link this result to a victory for the public in taking over control of government."
The DPJ's election campaign featured footage of U.S. President Barack Obama's call for change during his presidential run. Even as Typhoon No. 11 approached eastern Japan on Sunday night, voters turned out in droves to show they were ready for a drastic change to help the slumping economy get back on the road to recovery.
Exit polls and early vote counting indicated the DPJ was heading to a victory much larger than the LDP's landslide win in the Lower House election four years ago, when Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization plan gained widespread attention.
As the DPJ racked up seats to push it above the 241 needed for a Lower House majority--and even beyond the 296 seats won by the LDP in 2005--a who's who of prominent LDP lawmakers were going down in defeat.
Although Prime Minister Taro Aso won his seat in Fukuoka Prefecture, he indicated Sunday night he would step down as LDP president to take responsibility for the drubbing that many blame on the unpopular leader.
"We will have to accept the voice of the people that has produced such a severe result," Aso said.
The LDP now appears bereft of leaders. Party Secretary-General Hiroyuki Hosoda said he told Aso earlier Sunday that he and other top party executives would resign to take responsibility.
"We will seriously atone for our faults and prepare for the next election," he said.
The LDP came into the election in an unfamiliar spot: as the heavy underdog. Public opinion polls proved accurate, as the LDP was struggling to match the 113 seats the DPJ won when it was humiliated in the 2005 election.
The LDP's junior coalition partner, New Komeito, was also battered Sunday.
A number of New Komeito executives, including party leader Akihiro Ota and Secretary-General Kazuo Kitagawa, were defeated.
New Komeito was expected to fall far short of the 31 seats it won in the last Lower House election.
But Ota told reporters Sunday night that New Komeito will continue its decade-long relationship of trust that had been built up with the LDP.
Other smaller parties were struggling to stay afloat amid the DPJ juggernaut.
The Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) received help through their cooperation with the DPJ. But the parties were struggling to improve on their showing four years ago.
The Japanese Communist Party argued during the campaign that it would serve as a "constructive opposition party." The JCP was awaiting the results from the proportional representation constituency to see if it could match the nine seats it won in 2005.
While DPJ executives were shouting "banzai" Sunday night to celebrate the culmination of an 11-year pursuit of government, DPJ sources said Hatoyama would tackle the job of forming a new government by selecting a chief Cabinet secretary and party secretary-general as early as today.
Once the broad outlines of a Hatoyama administration are in place, discussions will be held with the SDP and Kokumin Shinto over the formation of a coalition government because the DPJ does not have an outright majority in the Upper House.
Talks will also be held for a smooth transition from the LDP-New Komeito coalition.
A special Diet session will likely be convened in the week beginning Sept. 14, with the main focus on selecting a new prime minister. DPJ sources said Hatoyama wants to choose his Cabinet ministers and party executives by the time that session begins.
Once Hatoyama is elected prime minister, he is expected to attend a United Nations General Assembly and a Group of 20 summit on the financial crisis slated for later in September.
Domestically, the Hatoyama administration will have little time to celebrate.
A mountain of difficult issues face the new government, including the spread of the new swine flu epidemic that has killed seven people.
The DPJ will also have to come up with measures to keep the battered economy afloat. Although there are signs that the worst is over, the unemployment rate climbed to a record high 5.7 percent in July.
The DPJ has also vowed to break the bureaucrats' long-held control over government and policy-making, a task that many doubt is possible.
In foreign policy, the DPJ will have to take into consideration the views of the SDP, whose pacifist stance may clash with that of DPJ conservatives, if the party hopes to maintain a stable coalition government.(IHT/Asahi: August 31,2009)
The DPJ's triumph will push the LDP out of power for only the second time since it was formed in 1955, and make a prime minister out of DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama.
"The voters held a deep anger toward the ruling coalition," Hatoyama told reporters Sunday night. "We have to link this result to a victory for the public in taking over control of government."
The DPJ's election campaign featured footage of U.S. President Barack Obama's call for change during his presidential run. Even as Typhoon No. 11 approached eastern Japan on Sunday night, voters turned out in droves to show they were ready for a drastic change to help the slumping economy get back on the road to recovery.
Exit polls and early vote counting indicated the DPJ was heading to a victory much larger than the LDP's landslide win in the Lower House election four years ago, when Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization plan gained widespread attention.
As the DPJ racked up seats to push it above the 241 needed for a Lower House majority--and even beyond the 296 seats won by the LDP in 2005--a who's who of prominent LDP lawmakers were going down in defeat.
Although Prime Minister Taro Aso won his seat in Fukuoka Prefecture, he indicated Sunday night he would step down as LDP president to take responsibility for the drubbing that many blame on the unpopular leader.
"We will have to accept the voice of the people that has produced such a severe result," Aso said.
The LDP now appears bereft of leaders. Party Secretary-General Hiroyuki Hosoda said he told Aso earlier Sunday that he and other top party executives would resign to take responsibility.
"We will seriously atone for our faults and prepare for the next election," he said.
The LDP came into the election in an unfamiliar spot: as the heavy underdog. Public opinion polls proved accurate, as the LDP was struggling to match the 113 seats the DPJ won when it was humiliated in the 2005 election.
The LDP's junior coalition partner, New Komeito, was also battered Sunday.
A number of New Komeito executives, including party leader Akihiro Ota and Secretary-General Kazuo Kitagawa, were defeated.
New Komeito was expected to fall far short of the 31 seats it won in the last Lower House election.
But Ota told reporters Sunday night that New Komeito will continue its decade-long relationship of trust that had been built up with the LDP.
Other smaller parties were struggling to stay afloat amid the DPJ juggernaut.
The Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) received help through their cooperation with the DPJ. But the parties were struggling to improve on their showing four years ago.
The Japanese Communist Party argued during the campaign that it would serve as a "constructive opposition party." The JCP was awaiting the results from the proportional representation constituency to see if it could match the nine seats it won in 2005.
While DPJ executives were shouting "banzai" Sunday night to celebrate the culmination of an 11-year pursuit of government, DPJ sources said Hatoyama would tackle the job of forming a new government by selecting a chief Cabinet secretary and party secretary-general as early as today.
Once the broad outlines of a Hatoyama administration are in place, discussions will be held with the SDP and Kokumin Shinto over the formation of a coalition government because the DPJ does not have an outright majority in the Upper House.
Talks will also be held for a smooth transition from the LDP-New Komeito coalition.
A special Diet session will likely be convened in the week beginning Sept. 14, with the main focus on selecting a new prime minister. DPJ sources said Hatoyama wants to choose his Cabinet ministers and party executives by the time that session begins.
Once Hatoyama is elected prime minister, he is expected to attend a United Nations General Assembly and a Group of 20 summit on the financial crisis slated for later in September.
Domestically, the Hatoyama administration will have little time to celebrate.
A mountain of difficult issues face the new government, including the spread of the new swine flu epidemic that has killed seven people.
The DPJ will also have to come up with measures to keep the battered economy afloat. Although there are signs that the worst is over, the unemployment rate climbed to a record high 5.7 percent in July.
The DPJ has also vowed to break the bureaucrats' long-held control over government and policy-making, a task that many doubt is possible.
In foreign policy, the DPJ will have to take into consideration the views of the SDP, whose pacifist stance may clash with that of DPJ conservatives, if the party hopes to maintain a stable coalition government.(IHT/Asahi: August 31,2009)
