ID :
86154
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 01:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/86154
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DPJ beats LDP in 2 upper house by-elections, gives Hatoyama boost
+
TOKYO, Oct. 25 Kyodo -
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan beat the main opposition Liberal
Democratic Party in House of Councillors by-elections in Kanagawa and Shizuoka
prefectures on Sunday, giving a boost to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's new
government as it pushes ahead with its policy initiatives.
The elections, in which DPJ candidates defeated their LDP rival candidates and
others, were the first electoral test for Hatoyama, who took office in
mid-September following his DPJ's historic victory in a general election in
late August and the LDP's consequent fall from power.
''I regard the results as the recognition of and a show of boost to our drive
toward reform, including the suspension of the extra budget and the
implementation of policies laid out in our manifesto,'' Hatoyama, who doubles
as DPJ president, told reporters by telephone while aboard a government
aircraft en route to Japan from Thailand.
With Sunday's wins, the Hatoyama government is expected to double its efforts
to realize its policies in the extraordinary parliamentary session, which is
set to open Monday, and in the compilation of the fiscal 2010 budget toward the
end of this year.
The by-elections failed to generate much excitement, however, and turnout came
to 28.67 percent in Kanagawa, or 27.65 points lower than the nationwide upper
house election in 2007, and 35.64 percent in Shizuoka, or 22.77 points lower
than the 2007 election.
The DPJ gained two more seats in the 242-member upper house to total 115, or
seven short of a single-handed majority in the chamber. The by-election results
provide some realism to the prospect that the DPJ could attain such a majority
in the nationwide election next summer, where half the seats in the chamber
will be up for grabs.
Though maintaining a comfortable near two-thirds majority in the more powerful
House of Representatives, the DPJ only controls a small majority in the upper
house with the support of its two coalition partners -- the People's New Party
and the Social Democratic Party.
Controlling majorities on its own in both chambers would give the DPJ more
leeway in having legislation enacted to realize many of its policy initiatives,
which were laid out in the DPJ's campaign platform in the general election in
late August.
In Kanagawa, the DPJ's Yoichi Kaneko, a 47-year-old economist, defeated the
LDP's Hiroko Tsunoda, a 41-year-old former Yokohama city assembly member, and
two other candidates, while in Shizuoka, the DPJ's Hirokazu Tsuchida, a
59-year-old doctor, beat the LDP's Shigeki Iwai, a 41-year-old college
lecturer, and two others.
''This is the result of the electorate having approved of the various policies
of the Hatoyama Cabinet over the past month,'' Kaneko told reporters after he
was convinced of victory. ''I think the Hatoyama Cabinet has won their
confidence.''
Tsuchida, for his part, attributed his success to the high expectations of the
public for the Hatoyama government, telling supporters, ''I want to accomplish
medical reforms as soon as possible.''
The by-elections turned out to be a tough first electoral test for LDP
President Sadakazu Tanigaki, who took the party helm late last month with a
mandate to revitalize the once dominant party following its fall from power in
the August general election.
In the by-elections, the LDP suffered from a lack of endorsement from the New
Komeito party, whose supporters used to provide a wealth of votes for its
candidates while the two formed a coalition government for a decade until the
national election.
The Kanagawa constituency came up for grabs because Keiichiro Asao, a former
member of the DPJ, quit the upper house and ran successfully in the lower house
election, while a by-election was called in Shizuoka because the previous
holder of the seat, the LDP's Yukiko Sakamoto, quit to run, albeit
unsuccessfully, in the Shizuoka gubernatorial election in July.
The Miyagi gubernatorial election was also held Sunday, with incumbent Gov.
Yoshihiro Murai winning the election to serve a second four-year term, beating
a challenger recommended by the DPJ-led ruling coalition.
==Kyodo
2009-10-25 23:46:12
TOKYO, Oct. 25 Kyodo -
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan beat the main opposition Liberal
Democratic Party in House of Councillors by-elections in Kanagawa and Shizuoka
prefectures on Sunday, giving a boost to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's new
government as it pushes ahead with its policy initiatives.
The elections, in which DPJ candidates defeated their LDP rival candidates and
others, were the first electoral test for Hatoyama, who took office in
mid-September following his DPJ's historic victory in a general election in
late August and the LDP's consequent fall from power.
''I regard the results as the recognition of and a show of boost to our drive
toward reform, including the suspension of the extra budget and the
implementation of policies laid out in our manifesto,'' Hatoyama, who doubles
as DPJ president, told reporters by telephone while aboard a government
aircraft en route to Japan from Thailand.
With Sunday's wins, the Hatoyama government is expected to double its efforts
to realize its policies in the extraordinary parliamentary session, which is
set to open Monday, and in the compilation of the fiscal 2010 budget toward the
end of this year.
The by-elections failed to generate much excitement, however, and turnout came
to 28.67 percent in Kanagawa, or 27.65 points lower than the nationwide upper
house election in 2007, and 35.64 percent in Shizuoka, or 22.77 points lower
than the 2007 election.
The DPJ gained two more seats in the 242-member upper house to total 115, or
seven short of a single-handed majority in the chamber. The by-election results
provide some realism to the prospect that the DPJ could attain such a majority
in the nationwide election next summer, where half the seats in the chamber
will be up for grabs.
Though maintaining a comfortable near two-thirds majority in the more powerful
House of Representatives, the DPJ only controls a small majority in the upper
house with the support of its two coalition partners -- the People's New Party
and the Social Democratic Party.
Controlling majorities on its own in both chambers would give the DPJ more
leeway in having legislation enacted to realize many of its policy initiatives,
which were laid out in the DPJ's campaign platform in the general election in
late August.
In Kanagawa, the DPJ's Yoichi Kaneko, a 47-year-old economist, defeated the
LDP's Hiroko Tsunoda, a 41-year-old former Yokohama city assembly member, and
two other candidates, while in Shizuoka, the DPJ's Hirokazu Tsuchida, a
59-year-old doctor, beat the LDP's Shigeki Iwai, a 41-year-old college
lecturer, and two others.
''This is the result of the electorate having approved of the various policies
of the Hatoyama Cabinet over the past month,'' Kaneko told reporters after he
was convinced of victory. ''I think the Hatoyama Cabinet has won their
confidence.''
Tsuchida, for his part, attributed his success to the high expectations of the
public for the Hatoyama government, telling supporters, ''I want to accomplish
medical reforms as soon as possible.''
The by-elections turned out to be a tough first electoral test for LDP
President Sadakazu Tanigaki, who took the party helm late last month with a
mandate to revitalize the once dominant party following its fall from power in
the August general election.
In the by-elections, the LDP suffered from a lack of endorsement from the New
Komeito party, whose supporters used to provide a wealth of votes for its
candidates while the two formed a coalition government for a decade until the
national election.
The Kanagawa constituency came up for grabs because Keiichiro Asao, a former
member of the DPJ, quit the upper house and ran successfully in the lower house
election, while a by-election was called in Shizuoka because the previous
holder of the seat, the LDP's Yukiko Sakamoto, quit to run, albeit
unsuccessfully, in the Shizuoka gubernatorial election in July.
The Miyagi gubernatorial election was also held Sunday, with incumbent Gov.
Yoshihiro Murai winning the election to serve a second four-year term, beating
a challenger recommended by the DPJ-led ruling coalition.
==Kyodo
2009-10-25 23:46:12
