EDITORIAL: DPJ leadership race

The Democratic Party of Japan's leadership election campaign kicked off Wednesday. Naoto Kan is running to maintain his post as party president, and thus prime minister, while Ichiro Ozawa, the party's former secretary-general, hopes to unseat him.

Up to the 11th hour, the party tried in vain to avert a Kan-Ozawa showdown. Had the party succeeded, it would have invited public censure for settling the matter behind closed doors. In that sense, the party was lucky to have failed. Ozawa told a news conference that Kan "was apparently of the view that the party should not act as one."

In explaining his position, Kan said he had been asked by an intermediary to "take personnel matters into consideration," but refused to oblige. "It would be wrong to make decisions of such a nature behind the people's backs," he said.

Kan got that right. Party unity and behind-the-scenes negotiations over party posts are quite separate issues. Choosing the prime minister in such fashion would be a gross insult to the public. As for former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, his recent actions defy our comprehension. Appealing for party unity, he urged DPJ members to revive the Kan-Ozawa-Hatoyama "triumvirate," and even promised to "act as a responsible mediator" for Kan and Ozawa.

We simply cannot fathom his reasons for bringing up the idea of a "triumvirate" at this point. Hatoyama resigned together with Ozawa only three months ago to take responsibility for scandals concerning money and politics. We have no idea what the context of his remarks was. All we can say is that Hatoyama ought to know his place.

Even though the Kan administration is only three months old, under the party's rules, the DPJ leadership election on Sept. 14 cannot be avoided. But any rule that might produce a short-lived prime minister is hardly desirable.

But with Ozawa determined to run for party president, it is much better that he and Kan fight it out fair and square, rather than negotiate an "agreement" to avert the showdown. Inconsistencies have been the hallmark of the party to date.

Since its foundation, the DPJ has been an amalgamation of diverse political groups. Its personality is typified by the merger with Jiyuto (Liberal Party), led by Ozawa.

Despite internal differences in philosophy and policy among its members, the DPJ was able to maintain cohesion because everybody shared the common goal of seizing the reins of government. But after achieving that goal, the party's internal disarray became painfully noticeable. This is the price of having neglected to define the party's fundamental direction and consolidate its footing.

It is not only the DPJ that needs to put its house in order. The political system itself will start drifting unless the DPJ thrashes out these internal differences and gets itself firmly on track. The leadership election must not be allowed to turn into a blatant power struggle. It must help turn a new page in politics. DPJ lawmakers bear the heavy responsibility of determining, on behalf of the people who cannot directly elect their prime minister, which of the two candidates is better suited for the job. Should any lawmakers go against their conscience for fear of reprisal or out of greed for some coveted party and government posts, voters will not let them go unpunished.

The DPJ presidential election is effectively a prime ministerial election. The party must bear this firmly in mind.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 1