DPJ to ban 'hereditary' candidates within 3rd degree of kinship

Tuesday 28th April, 07:19 AM JST

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12 Comments

DeepAir65 at 08:36 AM JST - 28th April

it's a start I guess.

Hopefully they get in next time and make it law
thepro at 08:45 AM JST - 28th April

Good plan
tkoind2 at 08:52 AM JST - 28th April

One bold step for the DJP, one small step towards democracy.
Scrote at 09:36 AM JST - 28th April

Voters are free to not vote for hereditary candidates. The fact that they do tells me that many people give little to no thought about the candidates in an election.

Maybe, when the country is bankrupt and the pension money has been squandered on roads and concrete, people will stop voting for these clowns.
GW at 10:35 AM JST - 28th April

scrote

think you got it man, not much thought goes into voting here especially in the sticks, many do as they are told by their companies & family elders, free thinking need not apply
L4dymercury at 10:51 AM JST - 28th April

Basically, not that it applied to me anyway being an American citizen, but I won't be eligible. My mother and grandfather are, not me though.

Oh well!
L4dymercury at 10:52 AM JST - 28th April

Oh wait, nevermind, do they mean like cousins and stuff? Or like First gen, second gen, third gen?
InTheKnow at 02:15 PM JST - 28th April

In this follow-the-pack-mentality and go-with-what-you-know culture, this is a bold move.

"I don't know anything about the son or his opponent, but since he's the son of a career politician and his father introduced him at media appearances, I guess I should vote for him."
sharky1 at 07:00 PM JST - 28th April

Oh man....this could wipe out nearly the whole party! I heard one of them ask that if he got divorced, would his ex-wife still be his sister...
Shumatsu_Samurai at 06:20 AM JST - 29th April

Voters are free to not vote for hereditary candidates. The fact that they do tells me that many people give little to no thought about the candidates in an election.

Or maybe they don't see someone as being a relative of a politician as being a problem?

Look at the Kennedy family. They've had a massive amount of power for decades. It was a surprise to many people when that stupid woman didn't get the Democrat nomination. But because JFK was a "good" president most people went along with that. Whereas because all Japanese politicians are "bad" anyone who votes for their relatives is doing so because they're stupid.

One rule for most people, another rule for Japanese....
Simon_Foston at 06:57 AM JST - 29th April

I applaud these suggestions and I am glad the issue of hereditary politicians is finally being discussed. However, there is an easy way to reduce the number of 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation politicians without anyone having to lose their constitutional right to stand in elections. All they need to do is totally ban all donations to politicians and political organisations other than the actual parties, and then no donations should be allowed to local chapters. That would ensure that the useless offspring of useless politicians would have a fairer fight on their hands, as they could no longer depend on the advantage provided by the cash their parents had accumulated.