Jul. 13, 2012 - 06:42AM JST
TOKYO —
Ichiro Ozawa, who launched a new political party on Wednesday with 50 other former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) members, on Thursday visited leaders of several opposition parties, looking for possible alliances.
Ozawa, 70, held talks with opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Sadakazu Tanigaki and Secretary-General Nobuteru Ishihara to explain his reasons for leaving the DPJ. TV Asahi reported that the meeting was light-hearted, even though both Tanigaki and Ishihara had repeatedly criticized Ozawa for opposing cross-party talks on social security and tax hike legislation.
Ozawa also met with the heads of Kizuna and two other opposition parties.
Japan Today
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Ninoh at Jul. 13, 2012 - 10:55AM JST
Lunatics has taken over the asylum.
Sebastian Bläser at Jul. 13, 2012 - 03:48PM JST
Didn't Ozawa scold Noda for working together with the LDP?
kazetsukai at Jul. 13, 2012 - 09:08PM JST
Politicians at the national levels have much more information than the public. The persons in power also have more of that information than the public. So, the public has a tendency to "rely" on those in power to make the decisions on their behalf believing that (or hoping) that those in power will make the correct and the right decisions. However, the public do not entrust a political party to "decide" for them, or do they?
If that is the case in Japan, then it is a sad period for the Japanese people.
Each party as with each politician has priorities and preferences as well as special interest groups that influence their decisions. The problem is that the parties MUST represent an "ideology" with related or most often UN-related but "useful" "slogans" to attract public sentiment, votes and support.
Ozawa had "proven" that he is not a reliable nor a "representative" politician watching out for the people he is supposed to represent. He has also proven that he is not really a political party person that is willing to strengthen a party to "improve" the party. He has done exactly the opposite.
If his followers and his constituents cannot see that, than they are ll in for a sad but unhappy surprise. So will those in the other political parties. They will all suffer eventually for associating with him.
He will hide behind the errors of others and push his only agenda, which is to keep "power" and the economic benefits that come with it, for himself. Other political parties should just "stay away" for everyone's sake.
globalwatcher at Jul. 14, 2012 - 09:13AM JST
Agreed. J politicians have no visible ideology. That's a big problem as most politicians have no formal educations in economics and law unlike US. They are just there for their own interests and power. Ozawa is a good example. I have been watching this guy like a hawk for 3 decades, and he is still out there in J. politics. This guy cannot be trusted. Once he gets power, he will abolish the Constitution of Japan to rewrite his own version. Watch out!
Michael Craig at Jul. 14, 2012 - 11:24AM JST
Um, that's Tokyo Gov. Ishihara! I don't know what Ozawa's new party will do with it.
Seiharinokaze at Jul. 14, 2012 - 01:06PM JST
Ozawa now on the same opposition side wants to say to the LDP leaders that it's impossible to argue down bureaucrats in order to eliminate wasteful spending because they have enormous data and can explain down to the minutest details on how the undertakings (as well as affiliated administrative corporate bodies) are necessary. Besides they have on their side influential members of the Diet (zoku-giin) who act as spokespersons for the interests of specific ministries, business industries and labor unions. You stand no chance of winning the game. So what's the politicians should do is to evade a theoretical dispute with them and just decide "politically" what should be done and what should be slain and thus drastically downsize the budget instead of being brainwashed by them into legislating a sales tax hike in the midst of deflation. Bureaucrats think that politicians job is just to legislate what they decide in Kasumigaseki. Looking for support for changing this from the largest opposition party seems hopeless though.