Internal Quarrel Again

The leading opposite party, Democratic Party of Japan, is still in a quagmire of endless internal disputes. Frustrated with lack of party leadership, senior DPJ lawmakers are raising their accusation against President Banri Kaieda. However, none of them are willing to support Kaieda, being indulged in criticizing their leader. They seem to have forgotten bitter experience in their administration, when consecutive disputes produced nothing but public distrust.

Former Foreign Minister, Seiji Maehara, accused Kaieda on Saturday of his weakness of integrating power of opposite parties. “We do not see much effort of Kaieda for changing centrifugal force of opposite parties into centripetal force,” Maehara told. The statement was reported as his request toward Kaieda to step down as president of the party.

After miserable defeat in the election of House of Councillors last summer, Kaieda promised to his party members that he would be leaving the presidency, if he would not be able to show obvious achievement for revitalizing the party in one year. Although party leaders were closely watching how Kaieda’s handling would be, he is still in struggle for rebuilding DPJ.

There is a difference of direction DPJ should take. Maehara and some lawmakers are expecting cooperation with Toru Hashimoto, who separated the Restoration Party. While Kaieda is reluctant to discuss cooperation with the broken party, mainly because DPJ and Restoration Party are too different in some major policies such as constitutional amendment, Maehara has unofficially been discussing party integration with Hashimoto.

Other leaders are also frustrated with Kaieda. Former Finance Minister, Jun Azumi, required leadership for broad cooperation of the opposites, saying “We are getting onto a new stage, on which ability of bundling up opposite parties will be required to a party leader.” Azumi and other leaders expect presidential election this fall, while Kaieda’s term will end in the fall 2015.

They are focusing on Question Time debate in the Diet next Wednesday, in which Kaieda can show his determination to defeat Abe administration with direct discussion. If he fails in impressing his leadership in the debate, internal pressure against Kaieda will grow to the extent he needs to consider early presidential election. But audience realizes that DPJ has still not achieved power enough to tackle against great leading party. People are completely tired of internal quarrels in DPJ.