Transition of power holds historical significance: Mitarai

TOKYO, Aug. 31 Kyodo -
The head of Japan's most powerful business lobby said Monday that the result of
the previous day's general election, which saw a crushing defeat for the
Liberal Democratic Party that had ruled the country for decades, has a
''historical significance'' and welcomed the apparent arrival of a genuine
two-party political system.
But other company executives also urged the Democratic Party of Japan to
swiftly carry out realistic policies to steer Japan towards economic recovery,
saying the DPJ's sweeping victory was a testament to the urgent desire for
change by the Japanese people.
''We have entered an age where a genuine transition of government is possible
for the first time in the postwar history of constitutional politics,'' Fujio
Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, also known as Nippon
Keidanren, said at a press conference in Tokyo.
Their comments came after the main opposition DPJ won 308 seats in the powerful
480-member House of Representatives in Sunday's election, ousting the LDP,
which has ruled the country for most of the past half-century.
''The election result is an expression of the people's call to break out of
these tough economic and stagnant social conditions,'' NEC Corp. President
Kaoru Yano said in a statement.
Mitarai, also chairman of Canon Inc., called on the DPJ to select its Cabinet
members soon and effectively implement economic policies to lead Japan safely
out of the global economic crisis.
Some business leaders are hoping the DPJ's resounding victory will resolve a
political deadlock that has stymied the swift passage of key legislation even
as Japan sank into its worst economic recession in the postwar period.
''Each party will have a strong sense of responsibility and things will move
forward with a sense of urgency'' in an envisioned mainly two-party system,
Mitarai said.
At another press conference, Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Japan
Association of Corporate Executives, said, ''There are many policies that seem
insufficient, but we hope (the DPJ) will be responsible as a ruling party.''
But others requested the DPJ hold thorough talks with the corporate sector
before making policy decisions since the business community and the party stand
far apart in some areas such as the environment and employment.
On the DPJ's climate policy, Satoshi Aoki, chairman of the Japan Automobile
Manufacturers Association, expressed caution about its target of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, which is
outlined in its manifesto.
''We have concerns about its feasibility in view of the impact on economic
activities and employment as well as the enormity of the public burden,'' Aoki,
also chairman of Honda Motor Co., said in a statement, urging the DPJ to
clarify the financial resources to achieve its goals.
Shosuke Mori, chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan,
urged the DPJ to carry out ''measures that respond to reality'' while
representatives of the steel industry warned against the DPJ moving forward
with climate objectives without laying out a clear action plan.
While denying ''any major differences,'' Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also expressed unease about the DPJ's plan to
ban the dispatch of temporary workers to manufacturing companies.
The measure ''could squeeze employment conditions,'' Okamura said at a separate
press conference.
In addition to the continuation of short-term measures to ensure economic
recovery, company executives also called for longer-term policies to support
Japan's innovation in technology and other areas to boost its global
competitiveness.
''In the medium- to long-term, we ask the DPJ to exercise leadership in
achieving fiscal reconstruction and proposing growth strategies as a
technology-based country so that Japan can display a strong presence in the
world,'' Toshiba Corp. President Norio Sasaki said in a statement.
==Kyodo