Political climate changes

 

 

Of late, the over $4 trillion Japanese economy witnessed a political turmoil which it had never faced since World War II, and which was an absolutely new experience even to its 71-year-old Premier, Yasuo Fukuda. The upper house of the Parliament controlled by the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) slapped a non-binding censure motion against the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled the country for over six decades now. Reason? A divided parliament doubts Fukuda’s abilities and holds him responsible for messing up Japan’s domestic policies, including lost pension records, an infamous compulsory health insurance policy, which made health care costly for elders and re-implementation of petrol tax in the wake of escalating oil prices globally.

Although the more powerful lower house managed to save the government, where Fukuda won the confidence vote by 336-10, amidst boycott by key opposition leaders, various polls conducted have also revealed that over 56 per cent people want snap polls. On the one hand Fukuda commented, “I think the vote of no confidence means that they want me to do my best,” but on the other, Kenji Yamaoka, DPJ’s lawmaker in-charge of parliamentary affairs protested, contradicted him by saying “Without the opposition in attendance, all this is nothing but a demonstration to the public. In other words it’s just a farce.”

The opposition in Japan took control of the upper house in September 2007 and since then, has been accused of always stalling its proceedings. And it is for this parliamentary divide that the absolutely imperative appointment of Bank of Japan’s Governor is still in utter commotion. But who cares for the appointment? Fukuda seems to care more about his reputation, as he is all focused to host the G8 Summit in early July this year, where eight rich nations of the world will once again come together to discuss climate change and soaring food and fuel prices, the topic of discussion for the next summit. In order to impress the G8, Fukuda has already announced his climate concerns by calling for a cut in Japan’s greenhouse-gas emission by 80 per cent by 2050.