Aug
31
Democratic Party achieves historic victory in Japanelection
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese voters led the opposition to a historic election victory Sunday, defeating the conservative party of Government and all rookies giving Democrats the task of breathing life into a battered economy.
The victory of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) ends half a century of almost uninterrupted rule of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and ends with a lengthy filibuster.
The opposition Government has promised to put money in consumers' hands, cutting unnecessary spending and take away power from the bureaucrats.
People are upset with the current policies and the ruling coalition. One sensed that people wanted a change in their quality of life and fight this election by a change in government, said Democratic Party leader, Yukio Hatoyama, 62.
However, as will be back in power, the Democratic Party must move quickly to maintain the support of voters worried about record unemployment figures and a rapidly aging society, increasing the cost of social security.
Hatoyama is expected, the wealthy grandson of a former prime minister to appoint a transition team on Monday to prepare to take power.
Forecasts media gave the Democratic Party two thirds of the 480 seats in the House.
The forecasts are in line with surveys of the election campaign, which predicted a major defeat for Prime Minister Taro Aso, and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled for over 50 years.
WORST RESULT IN HISTORY FOR LIBERAL
polls to exit polls showed that Democrats would have received about 320 seats in the House, nearly triple the roughly 115 in the previous election. Most polls give the Liberals a little over 100 seats, compared to 300 I had.
ruling party's defeat ends an association with big business and bureaucrats, who made Japan into an economic giant after the defeat in World War II.
However, the strategy collapsed when breaking the bubble economy at the end of the decade 1980. Since then, growth has failed to fully recover.
This is about the end of the political system in postwar Japan, said Gerry Curtis, an expert in the country of Columbia University .
marks the end of a long era and the beginning of another on which there is much uncertainty, he said.
Financial markets wanted ended the stalemate in Parliament, where Democrats and their allies control the upper house and can delay bills. However, the bond issue would increase if a new government increases its spending.
Aso said he will assume responsibility for the defeat and said to the polls soon to elect a new leader Liberal Democratic Party.
Japanese news agency Jiji said the performance of the LDP was the worst since its founding in 1955.
The problem is how can Democrats actually deliver the first 100 days. If they can quickly form a new cabinet will ease market concerns about its ability to govern.
Hatoyama told voters Saturday that the elections would change the history Japan.
politician has mentioned the word change continuously, a concept that seems to have penetrated the Japanese. Manyseem willing to give an opportunity for Democrats, although not sure they can pull the country out of its worst recession in 60 years.
The party also wants to forge a more independent diplomatic stance regarding key security ally, the United States to improve relations with Asia, often strained by the bitter memories of World War II.(Reporting by Linda Sieg, Editing by Jon Boyle Spanish)