Tuesday, 21 July 2009 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, in TokyoJapanese Prime Minister Taro Aso hasdissolved parliament's lower house and called for national elections on August30. In televised remarks Tuesday, theprime minister, who took office just last September, apologized for hisfailings and admitted that his party's internal turmoil had contributed torecent local election losses.“Public opinion polls have not beenkind to the LDP , or the last three primeministers,” said Charles Morrison, president of the East-West Center in Hawaii.
“The LDP under former Prime Minister Koizumi was quite popular until 2005, but it’s had lacklusterleadership and, of course, the economic crisis has not helped.” Mr. Morrison said Japan has been hardhit by the global economic crisis because its export sales have been badly hurtby the downturn, although he expects a modest improvement next year.Mr. Morrison said he does not expect aclear cut winner in next month’s election, given, in his view, the relativeunpopularity of both the LDP and the opposition Democratic Party. And, he says, while the LDP has been thedominant party in Japan for more than 50 years, any change would not besignificant. "The opposition party is asplit off from the LDP. There could besome realignment of parties, but it’s the same basic (political) elite that hasgoverned Japan for some time," he said. |
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
VOA News
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