Woman, Veteran and New Generation

Three candidates for the President of Democratic Party started election campaign on Friday. While former Minister for Governmental Reform, Renho, appeals her feminineness for an opposite leader against Shinzo Abe administration, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Seiji Maehara, represents old generation who do not want new politics. Chairman of Diet Affairs Committee, Yu-ichiro Tamaki, demands younger leadership for revitalization of the party. People are watching whether internal political discussion in DP will make any difference.

The election will be held on September 15^th. DP Lawmakers and official candidates for House of Representatives or Councillors have one vote each. Local congress members with affiliation of DP also have votes, one of which value worth one-seventh of a vote for a lawmaker. 235 thousands of registered party members or supporters have 231 votes the race is a struggle over 849 votes.

In the press conference at Japan Press Club, Renho emphasized her candidacy as a great hope for women in Japan. “I can encourage people who face glass ceiling,” told Renho with expectation for first female president of the party. While Maehara sold himself as a “war criminal” of former DPJ administration, who would be eligible for apologize that wrong leadership, Tamaki demanded drastic change to win credibility for the party.

The greatest issue for the election is framework of opposite coalition. While Renho basically succeeds the line drawn by current President, Katsuya Okada, which led a coalition including Japan Communist Party, Maehara and Tamaki are negative on continuing cooperation with JCP. “Okada regime has to be reset. In the election for Tokyo governor, he raised a celebrity without appropriate policy for the opposite coalition, which fooled Japanese people,” told Maehara.

Overwhelming situation of the election is characterized to be populism. Even how Renho as the top runner emphasizes preciousness of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, DP does not have any viable idea of whole shape of the Constitution. All she appeals is new image of the party led by a woman who once was a fashion model and TV talent. She seeks “exciting politics,” a concept which is too unclear to see through.

Politics of DP has traditionally been focused on negative campaign. When it is directed to the leading party, it may be successful in certain situation. But, when it comes to internal power struggle, they always exhaust political energy of the party. If those three candidates refuse to be integrated under the leadership of new leader, it will be an ordinary failure of the political novices.