Race for Party Survival

Candidates share a sense that it may be the last chance to revitalize the party. After shocking defeat in the general election of the House of Representatives last month, including unprecedented loss of party president, presidential election of Democratic Party of Japan was announced on Wednesday. It is obvious that the most important achievement in this unusual event is to assure the Japanese public that the party can revive as only alternative to controversial Shinzo Abe administration. However, they have still not found the way.

For the presidential election, three legislators ran. Who firstly stepped forward was former Minister for Nuclear Power Policy, Goshi Hosono, who had been ambitious to scrap the party and build a new party with Innovation Party, supported by young conservatives in DPJ. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and incumbent Deputy President, Katsuya Okada, followed Hosono, with an appeal of restore fundamental principles of the Party. Most party leaders support Okada, constructing mainstream of the party. Former Minister of Health Labor and Welfare, or Mr. Pension Reform, Akira Nagatsuma, tries to catch up the two with support of leftists related to labor union, appealing to raise “liberal flag.”

They all uphold economic policy focusing on the working class with lower income. “Social separation under the one-sided economic policy by Prime Minister Abe is in the level of intolerable. Appropriate distribution is urgently needed,” stressed Nagatsuma. Others basically agree with his argument. However, all of them do not have any credible alternative in economics. Except some idea such as tax exemption on corporation’s burden on social security proposed by Hosono, there is no strategy for economic growth more persuasive than Abenomics.

In terms of national security, those three candidates emphasize the need to repeal Abe’s Cabinet decision of exercising collective self-defense right, which is unlikely as long as DPJ and other opposite parties do not have simple majority in the House of Representatives. On this issue, the party has serious separation of opinion between the conservatives and the leftists. Hosono and Okada are relatively taking realistic approach under circumstance of the decision already made, while Nagatsuma fundamentally denies the principle of collective self-defense.

The election introduced new system giving greater power to local politicians and general supporters of DPJ than ever. It is likely that local opinion will decide which course DPJ will choose. Maintenance or scrap and build can be the biggest choice of the party.