Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
Shinzo Abe, head of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Sunday that he will not consider a coalition with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), if the LDP wins power in the Dec 16 general election.
Speaking on NHK, Abe -- who is a former prime minister -- said the LDP will work with its coalition partner, the New Komeito Party, and explore alliances with other parties, but said there are too many policy differences with the ruling DPJ. Abe said the LDP and DPJ differ on nuclear power, the consumption tax hike, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks and Japan's right to collective self-defense.
"We have to take back Japan from the DPJ," Abe said. "We need an economy that will grow. And we will create a Japan in which those born in this country will feel joy, and regain a nation in which our children will be proud to be born in Japan. The DPJ has had three years and has taken Japan off course."
Most opinion polls project a comfortable victory for the LDP in the election. The LDP is tipped to win up to 306 of the 480 seats in lower house, with the projected tally representing a huge jump from the 118 seats the party currently has.
The New Komeito party is likely to win between 25 and 31 seats, which would give the LDP-New Komeito alliance a two-thirds majority in the lower house, and give them the right to overrule the DPJ-dominated upper house.
© Japan Today/AP
16 Comments
Login to comment
some14some
Good Old Days of bad economy !
tmarie
No, he's much rather hook up with someone like Ishihara and ignore the voice of the people when it comes to numbers. A vote for Abe is a vote for Ishihara. Not looking good for Japan at all. Like I've said before, Japan is its own worst enemy.
FightingViking
"We have to take back Japan to at least 50 years ago..."
Kazuaki Shimazaki
@tmarie I can actually sympathize with LDP. Presumably, we want the new government to actually at least achieve something. If LDP combines with New Komei as the moderator, there is still some hope of the LDP acheiving something. Allying with DPJ will mean compromise that water-down all initiatives so much nothing much will get done.
hereforever
Only those born in Japan? Hope he also considers the hard working non-Japanese taxpayers too. I've been paying into the system for over 25 years!
Scrote
I only hope Abe doesn't get a majority. He is too scared to debate Noda and all Abe offers are more of the same old, failed LDP policies.
cleo
Please, please, please, let the polls be wrong.
globalwatcher
Abe, LDP are tied to Yakuza. Most of them are in construction industry that lead Japan to this financial mess.
comarade_captain
Was that because there not exist a better candidate other than Mr Abe? I think the Japanese people will having a very hard time in coming months and the consequences after Abe! He is the wolrst choice and seems his 'run away' embarassment has forgotton!
Jimizo
The LDP back in with the usual Komeito stooges? Corruption and religion - a lovely thought to start the week.
Mike Critchley
"Those born in Japan."
Nice nationalistic shoutout. Definitely for Ishihara's benefit to get them on board.
edojin
Abe ... a three-letter word meaning ugh.
comarade_captain
What will be happening to Japan after Mr Abe begins his second term Prime Minister? Printing Yen around the clock to pay for those construction companies who were notoriously owned by organized crime bosses? And those works has no economic benefits at all to japan's recovery! And this is Abe's plan to stimulus the LDP's 'recovery of power'?
alladin
If you ask me, Abe will probably resign after one month in office du to stress.
Seiharinokaze
Even though plagued with a huge budget deficit this country cannot dispose of any bit of enormous amount of USTB. Politicians who oppose to the US air base relocation plan and to raising the sales tax are ousted. Ozawa was forcibly indicted for a trumped up suspicion though judged not guilty at the end and expelled from the DPJ. So I think Abe is a relief if not a dummy who as a vassal state politician is going to pursue the national interests in feigned allegiance. The unilateral clause of the Security Treaty which complements the peaceful #9 clause of the Constitution (Japan is not obliged to defend America) makes Japan psychologically indebted to America and unable to have much say in how the US forces use the bases and behave in Japan for security reasons. Japan's acknowledgement of its right to collective self-defense is a sort of process of this country squirming to get independent by dissolving the indebtedness to the U.S.
Mirai Hayashi
Truly sad if the LDP wins. It just goes to show that old people run this country and the younger generation don't care -they'd rather vote for AKB girls in a stupid popularity contest rather than voting for their own future.
Abe has no plan. Their main message, "torimodosu"...how sad is that? Nothing about Japan's future, or making the economy better, or improving people's quality of life, but simply, "taking back Japan"...reminds me of the American GOP. Hell bent on getting into power without any plans for the country. My prediction: Abe won't last even a year if the LDP is put back into power. Both the LDP and the DPJ are broken and corrupt, and Japan will continue the perpetual cycle of leader and party swapping. Japan really needs to elect a new party with fresh new ideas.