Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党, Jiyū-Minshutō^?), frequently abbreviated to LDP or Jimintō (自民党, Jimintō^?), is a centre right, conservative, political party and the largest party in Japan. It has ruled for most of the years since its founding in 1955. It is not to be confused with the now-defunct Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyūtō^?), which merged with the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition party, in November 2003^[1].

After a striking victory in the Japan general election, 2005, the LDP held an absolute majority in the Japanese House of Representatives and formed a coalition government with the New Komeito Party. Shinzo Abe succeeded then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as the president of the party on 20 September 2006. The party suffered a major defeat in the election of 2007, however, and lost its majority in the upper house for the first time in its history. On 12 September 2007 Abe abruptly resigned his position as Prime Minister; he was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda. Fukuda in turn resigned on 1 September 2008, being replaced by Taro Aso.

History

Main article: History of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

Platform Evolution and Policy

• In 1955 Japan Liberal Party (Right-Liberal) and Japan Democratic Party (actually an Ultra Nationalist Party) merged and became the Liberal Democratic Party, the largest party in Japan.

• Before 1989 the LDP gained most of its vote support from Construction workers, small farmers, Japan Post workers, and white-collar, blue-collar, workers. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in his book The Lexus and the Olive Tree states that Japan under the LDP is the only country in which socialism, by fact if not by name, ever worked. That is because from 1960 to 1988 the LDP ruled Japan, and although committed to economic liberalism, they supported poor people to maximize their purchasing availability, resulting in a society that knew little social inequality and high social cohesion. Since 1989 both the global economic situation and the LDP's economic policies changed and so Japanese society faced poverty and unemploymenet for the first time.

• After 2002 Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai ruled LDP. MP Junichiro Koizumi vowed the importance of Fiscal reconstruction, and Japanese citizens hope Fiscal reconstruction of Japanese Government and Vote LDP at election of 2005. But Koizumi's "Fiscal reconstruction" was Very Biased,and it was similar the Civil War inside LDP. Koizumi Privatized Japan Post and Layoff workers, and he decreased Road Construction, and he cut the financial feed to Local Government,and he abandon small farmer protection, and he reduced JSDF's Tanks and Combat Aircraft.These policy seriously damaged platform of LDP's other 2 Major Factions Heisei seisaku kenkyukai and Kochikai. But on the other hand Koizumi reduced corporation Tax and sprayed government money for his Platform. And Koizumi should have raised"the national pension payment age" to 69 years old before Baby boomer retired at 60 years old. But Koizumi's platform Keidanren wanted to fire old workers at 60 years Old, and Koizumi postponed the raise. As the result Japan Government should pay Baby Boomer's living cost 23 years (from 60 to 83 years) by pension. And Koizumi changed Labor Law. And 33% of Japanese white-collar, blue-collar, workers, changed from Annual Salary USD40K permanent employee, to annual income USD18K part-time worker.Marriage rate and Birth rate of Japan dropped very much,Japanese population is decreasing and Economic Depression continued 18 years.

• Ended up Koizumi could not reduce Japan Government debt. What Koizumi accomplished was transfered People's income to Keidanren.
• As a result, the LDP lost their traditional supporters such as white-collarworkers, Farmers, Doctors, Japan Post workers, Construction workers, and JSDF peoples. Now DPJ's supporter population is about 22 Million, LDP's supporter population said to be elosioned from 25 Million to 18 Million.

• LDP and Komeito (affiliated with Buddhist Peace Organization the SokaGakkai) formed a coalition.

• GHQ made Japan Constitution Article9 current interpretation does not permit collective self defense, so if Japan Government shoot down NK's ICBM which is flying to US, it may become legal problem.
• So Abe, Aso are trying to change interpretation, but Komeito complaining about that, because their religious Dogma is Peace,and collective Defense against it by their dogma interpretation.

• North Korea aiming 200 Rodong-1 moval Ballistic Missiles to Japan. And 3 of them,may be loaded Nuke Warhead ready to Nuke Tokyo. And the Abducted Japanese citizens have been political issue in Japan.
• But Japan does not have enough Military Power to force North Korea to abandon Nuke & Missiles,and let them back abducted citizens.
• That's why, Japan cooperate the refueling mission to Pakistan in the Indian Ocean as per US government request.
• "Even if we cooperate 234000kl Fuel(More than JMSDF's annual consumption qty)as per US request,Bush administration have not forced NK to abandon 200 Rodong-1 Missiles and Nuke Facilities." Because of this view point,the DPJ is putting an end to the anti-terrorism refueling mission.

Basic principles

Unlike the leftist parties, the LDP did not espouse a well defined ideology or political philosophy. Its members held a variety of positions that could be broadly defined as being to the right of the opposition parties, yet more moderate than those of Japan's numerous rightist splinter groups. The LDP traditionally identified itself with a number of general goals: rapid, export-based economic growth; close cooperation with the United States in foreign and defense policies; and several newer issues, such as administrative reform. Administrative reform encompassed several themes: simplification and streamlining of government bureaucracy; privatization of state owned enterprises; and adoption of measures, including tax reform, needed to prepare for the strain on the economy posed by an aging society. Other priorities in the early 1990s included promoting a more active and positive role for Japan in the rapidly developing Asia-Pacific region, internationalizing Japan's economy by liberalizing and promoting domestic demand, creating a high technology information society, and promoting scientific research. A business-inspired commitment to free enterprise was tempered by the insistence of important small business and agricultural constituencies on some form of protectionism and subsidies.

Structure

At the apex of the LDP's formal organization is the president (Japanese: sosai), who can serve two three-year terms (The presidential term was increased to three years from two years in 2002). While the party maintained a parliamentary majority, the party president was the prime minister. The choice of party president was formally that of a party convention composed of Diet members and local LDP figures, but in most cases, they merely approved the joint decision of the most powerful party leaders. To make the system more democratic, Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda introduced a "primary" system in 1978, which opened the balloting to some 1.5 million LDP members. The process was so costly and acrimonious, however, that it was subsequently abandoned in favor of the old "smoke-filled room" method.

After the party president, the most important LDP officials are the Secretary-General (kanjicho), and the chairmen of the LDP Executive Council (somukaicho) and of the Policy Affairs Research Council (seimu chosakaicho).

The LDP was the most "traditionally Japanese" of the political parties because it relied on a complex network of patron-client (oyabun-kobun) relationships on both national and local levels. Nationally, a system of factions in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors tied individual Diet members to powerful party leaders. Locally, Diet members had to maintain koenkai (local support groups) to keep in touch with public opinion and gain votes and financial backing. The importance and pervasiveness of personal ties between Diet members and faction leaders and between citizens and Diet members gave the party a pragmatic "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" character. Its success depended less on generalized mass appeal than on the so-called sanban (three "ban"): jiban (a strong, well-organized constituency), kaban (a briefcase full of money), and kanban (prestigious appointment, particularly on the cabinet level).

Factions

Main article: Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The LDP has 3 Major Factions

Heisei Kenkyukai (from the Liberal Party--Right Liberal)

• Supported by local farmers, Construction Industries, white-collar workers,Defense Industry,Japan Post workers, discriminated village peoples.
• It Leaded economic development from 1960-1988, It promoted international cooperation with China & Korea. Gasoline Tax & promoted construction of Highway/Shinkansen (Bullet Train). Protect Small farmer/Japan Post workers/discriminated peoples.
• Founded by Diplomat Shigeru Yoshida. Succeeded by Eisaku Sato, Kakuei Tanaka, Ryutaro Hashimoto, Shigeru Ishiba.

Kouchi Kai (from Liberal Party--Keynesian economics& Right Liberal)

• Supported by the established Liberal party of the bureaucracy,white-collar workers,Doctors,small merchants and small factory people.
• It Leaded economic development from 1960-1988, it promoted international cooperation with China & Korea. Government bond/Consumption Tax for National Medical care/National Banks for financial support for small firms. Free trade Policy.
• Founded by Diplomat Shigeru Yoshida. Succeeded by Hayato Ikeda, Kiichi Miyazawa, Teiichi Tanigaki.

Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai (from Democratic Party-Nationalist)

• Supported by Keidanren (keiretsu),established Authoritarianbureaucracy,war widows at WW2,NetUyoku (Ultra nationalistic working poor)
• Decrease Tax for high income people,decrease tax for Big firm. National Defense depend on US. Visit Yasukuni Shurine for getting Nationalist's Vote without any special interests payment.Change constitution and back to the bureaucrat dominated political system before WW2. Decrease Road-Railway construction. Decrease Medical care. Eliminate white-collar workers overtime salary. Change permanent employment to temporary employment and eliminate Labor Union. Free Trade for Car Export & delite small farmer protection. Privatization and layoff of Japan Post workers.
• 1955 GHQ Changed their policy from Anti-Fascist to Anti-Communist,and released Shinske Kishi (A-class War Criminal,the member of Tohjyo Militarist Cabinet,and Grand Father of Shintaro Abe) from Sugamo Prison. Kishi founded Japan Democratic Party Absolutely No relation with Current JDP)
• It was suppressed by Heisei Seisaku Kenkyukai and Kochikai from 1960-1990. But because of self-destruction of Heisei Seisaku Kenkyukai and Kochikai,it lead LDP from 2002-2008 mainly under Junichiro Koizumi.
• Founded by Shinsuke Kishi. Succeeded by Takeo Fukuda, Junichiro Koizumi, Shinzo Abe, Yasuo Fukuda.

Performance in National Elections until 1993

see: Elections in Japan

Election statistics show that, while the LDP had been able to secure a majority in the twelve House of Representatives elections from May 1958 to February 1990, with only three exceptions (December 1976, October 1979, and December 1983), its share of the popular vote had declined from a high of 57.8 percent in May 1958 to a low of 41.8 percent in December 1976, when voters expressed their disgust with the party's involvement in the Lockheed scandal. The LDP vote rose again between 1979 and 1990. Although the LDP won an unprecedented 300 seats in the July 1986 balloting, its share of the popular vote remained just under 50 percent. The figure was 46.2 percent in February 1990. Following the three occasions when the LDP found itself a handful of seats shy of a majority, it was obliged to form alliances with conservative independents and the breakaway New Liberal Club. In a cabinet appointment after the October 1983 balloting, a non-LDP minister, a member of the New Liberal Club, was appointed for the first time. In the 18 July 1993, lower house elections, the LDP fell so far short of a majority that it was unable to form a government.

In the upper house, the July 1989 election represented the first time that the LDP was forced into a minority position. In previous elections, it had either secured a majority on its own or recruited non-LDP conservatives to make up the difference of a few seats.

The political crisis of 1988–89 was testimony to both the party's strength and its weakness. In the wake of a succession of issues — the pushing of a highly unpopular consumer tax through the Diet in late 1988, the Recruit insider trading scandal, which tainted virtually all top LDP leaders and forced the resignation of Prime Minister Takeshita Noboru in April (a successor did not appear until June), the resignation in July of his successor, Uno Sosuke, because of a sex scandal, and the poor showing in the upper house election — the media provided the Japanese with a detailed and embarrassing dissection of the political system. By March 1989, popular support for the Takeshita cabinet as expressed in public opinion polls had fallen to 9 percent. Uno's scandal, covered in magazine interviews of a "kiss and tell" geisha, aroused the fury of female voters.

Yet Uno's successor, the eloquent if obscure Kaifu Toshiki, was successful in repairing the party's battered image. By January 1990, talk of the waning of conservative power and a possible socialist government had given way to the realization that, like the Lockheed affair of the mid-1970s, the Recruit scandal did not signal a significant change in who ruled Japan. The February 1990 general election gave the LDP, including affiliated independents, a comfortable, if not spectacular, majority: 275 of 512 total representatives.

In October 1991, Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki failed to attain passage of a political reform bill and was rejected by the LDP, despite his popularity with the electorate. He was replaced as prime minister by Miyazawa Kiichi, a long-time LDP stalwart. Defections from the LDP began in the spring of 1992, when Hosokawa Morihiro left the LDP to form the Japan New Party. Later, in the summer of 1993, when the Miyazawa government also failed to pass political reform legislation, thirty-nine LDP members joined the opposition in a no-confidence vote. In the ensuing lower house election, more than fifty LDP members formed the Shinseito and the Sakigake parties, denying the LDP the majority needed to form a government.

See also

• Politics of Japan
• List of political parties in Japan
• History of Japan
• New Komeito
• Japan general election, 2003
• Japan upper house election, 2004
• Japan general election, 2005
• Sanctuary, by Sho Fumimura and Ryoichi Ikegami

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
• Japan Country Studies - Library of Congress

External links

• (English) The official website of Liberal Democratic Party

Political parties in Japan (Parliamentary parties) National Liberal Democratic Party – Democratic Party of Japan – New Komeito Party – Japanese Communist Party – Social Democratic Party – People's New Party – New Party Nippon Regional New Party Daichi – Political Group of Okinawa Revolution – Okinawa Social Mass Party Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of Japan