EDITORIAL: DPJ leadership election

What on earth are these people doing? Many voters must feel disgusted.

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan will announce its election to choose the party's leader on Sept. 1. As the day approaches, the various intra-party groups are all jockeying for position. Despite the fact that the race is to choose a person who will lead the nation through these trying times, the DPJ politicians engage in highly inward-looking power struggle.

A workshop organized by a group led by former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama drew roughly 160 DPJ legislators from both the Upper and Lower houses. It looked as if they were there to urge former Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa to run for the election.

Phrases like "anti-Kan" and "overcoming Ozawa" are bandied about, which reminds the public of the factions-based leadership elections of the Liberal Democratic Party when it was in power. Isn't this the very "old politics" that the DPJ promised it would eliminate with last year's change of government?

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been in office only for three months. Although he is responsible for the DPJ's setback in the July 11 Upper House election, he has not had the time to achieve anything, nor has he made any mistakes serious enough to warrant departure. Public sentiment also supports his continuation in office.

Moreover, in this new political era where a change of government is the norm, prime ministers should change only as a result of a Lower House election. The DPJ should not ignore this principle.

If the party insists on holding a leadership election even then, what is the significance?

There could be no other meaning but to realign the party's agenda, which has become blurred by all the zig-zagging after the DPJ took power, and to rebuild the party base for a fresh start.

To be precise, the issue is whether to radically revisit the election manifesto of last year's Lower House election, now bogged down by lack of government funds, or to stick to the manifesto and try to realize it to the letter. Another issue is whether to initiate debate, as Kan proposed, over raising the consumption tax, or leaving it as it is.

Until these issues are resolved, no matter who is chosen as prime minister, there is little hope of achieving a strong government. The DPJ would also be unable to set a base line for negotiating with the opposition parties, which is essential in the current twisted Diet environment.

What the DPJ should do is to spend the two weeks of the leadership election thoroughly debating the policy issues, with party members and supporters taking part and to unite and execute its policies when it has a victor.

Having started as an ideologically mixed bag, the DPJ has shied away from internal debates about divisive issues like foreign policy and national security for fear of splintering the party. But there is no escaping that any more.

There are signs that Kan may be staying mum about the manifesto and the consumption tax to blur hot-button election issues. This is not acceptable. When he officially announces his candidacy, we hope he firmly states his positions.

It is said people close to Ozawa are eagerly awaiting a "Prime Minister Ozawa."

However, it was Ozawa himself that brought on this present difficult situation with his political funds scandal and overbearing political style that led to the public's disillusionment with the new government.

Regarding his political funds, he has not yet given any explanation in the Diet. Depending on what the prosecution inquest committee decides, there is still the possibility that he may be indicted.

If he announces his candidacy without dealing with the problems, public support for the DPJ will probably deteriorate further.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 21