16 Janvier 2014
January 15, 2014
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20140115p2a00m0na010000c.html
Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has been gathering public attention recently over his anti-nuclear stance, has thrown his full backing behind another former prime minister, Morihiro Hosokawa, as a candidate in next month's election to choose a new governor of Tokyo.
Public opinion is split over the restarting of nuclear reactors in Japan -- an issue that could end up taking the wind out of the sails of the robust-looking administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. By declaring his intention to play a central role in the election, Koizumi has managed to garner support from across the political spectrum, as lawmakers look to form an anti-Abe element.
Koizumi's declaration of support for Hosokawa came after Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) threw its backing behind former Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe. The fact that Koizumi, a former major actor in the LDP, has confronted the current administration head-on has dealt a blow to the ruling party.
Elaborating on his position in a news conference to announce his support for Hosokawa, Koizumi, 72, spoke firmly.
"There is no election that could influence national politics as much as the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election," he stated. "It's a battle between the group that says, 'Japan can develop even without nuclear power,' and the one that says, 'Japan can't develop without nuclear power.'"
Koizumi earlier proved his strength in the 2005 election, as he moved to privatize Japan Post. Now he has simplified the election issues by drawing a line between supporters and opponents of nuclear power. At first the LDP had thought it would be easy to beat the 76-year-old Hosokawa, who could face a tougher job winning recognition from younger voters. But now Koizumi has entered the picture and declared that focus will be placed on eliminating nuclear power. Accordingly, the LDP's opponent has evolved into a Hosokawa-Koizumi alliance.
As Koizumi advances, the ruling LDP has at times remained steadfast and at other times been left on the back foot. In a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that it would be lying to say that Koizumi wouldn't have any effect on the party's election strategy, but he stressed that there would be no great effect. At a news conference in Kyoto, Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the LDP's coalition partner New Komeito, sided with the LDP, telling reporters that the elimination of nuclear power "is not what Tokyo residents are interested in."
However, aware of Koizumi's impact, some LDP members sense danger. One senior party member who served under Koizumi warned, "If Koizumi goes to the streets (to back Hosokawa), then it's all over. He'll be causing headaches for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."
Another former prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, commented in a speech before Koizumi announced his support that Koizumi would probably hesitate to go up against Abe as he had raised Abe up in the political sphere like a younger brother. But Koizumi's latest move proved him wrong.
Koizumi's attack on nuclear power has seen the governing LDP waver over the fate of nuclear power plants in Japan. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi explained at a news conference that the government's basic energy policy that currently aspires to maintain nuclear power would be revised to emphasize the introduction of renewable energy -- something Koizumi has called for. Meanwhile, a party caucus on energy policy that has been hesitant to promote nuclear power has gained momentum, with members confirming in a meeting on Jan. 14 that they would compile a recommendation to abolish nuclear power plants and the so-called nuclear fuel cycle in the future.
The opposition parties, which have been looking for a way to stand up against the ruling coalition, are happy to lean on Koizumi's popularity. On Jan. 14, the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) decided to support Hosokawa in the gubernatorial election, though not officially. At the same time, members of the opposition Japan Restoration Party who hail from the Osaka Restoration Association and support the elimination of nuclear power are also poised to back Hosokawa.
Social Democratic Party leader Tadatomo Yoshida, who is supporting anti-nuclear candidate Kenji Utsunomiya, commented, "It would be desirable to unite the anti-nuclear candidates." However, even if anti-nuclear opinion is aligned, there exists no figure to take the reins, and with parties differing in their closeness to the current administration and their position on realignment of the government, many unknown elements lie on the road to forming an anti-Abe movement.
Masuzoe, meanwhile, is trying to avoid simplification of the election issues, raising topics such as the Olympic Games, disaster prevention, and the declining birth rate in addition to a declaration of an eventual departure from nuclear power. Masuzoe came out on top in an election survey prediction conducted by the LDP at the end of last year, but it is possible Hosokawa could win many votes from unaffiliated voters.
One LDP official commented, "There's nothing to do but to wage a thorough, organized election. If it turns into a 'Koizumi theater' and the voting rate goes up, then we've lost."