Thursday, June 21 9:11 AM SGT
Koizumi faces first hurdle at
key Tokyo assembly election
TOKYO, June 21 (AFP) -
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has
revitalized Japanese politics with his record high
popularity, faces his first hurdle this weekend at a
key election for the capital's local assembly.
Koizumi travelled all over Tokyo at the launch of
the campaign last weekend to lend his backing to
candidates fielded by his Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP) for Sunday's election.
While the LDP has secured moderate support
thanks to the so-called "Koizumi effect," a
majority of voters have yet to make up their
minds who to vote for, according to pre-election
opinion polls.
"This election is significant as it will be the first
opportunity to confirm the people's approval for
Koizumi," said Muneyuki Shindo, professor of
politics at Rikkyo University.
The election, the first major ballot since Koizumi
scored a surprise victory for his party's
presidency and the nation's leadership in late
April, is widely seen as an indicator of the crucial
parliamentary upper house election in July.
"We need the strength of your support. Please
believe in me," Koizumi shouted to a huge crowd
on the stump at a Tokyo station. People roared
their approval when the premier sang a song by a
Japanese rock'n roll group.
"I am not a movie star," said a smiling Koizumi,
who enjoys a record-high public support of
around 85 percent. "But if people are interested
in us, Japan's politics can change."
Expectations of a boost to their electoral fortunes
rubbing off from the popular leader are high
among LDP candidates.
"The wind is clearly blowing in our favour," said
Akihiro Shoji, a secretary to LDP hopeful
Haruyasu Tateishi.
"His (Koizumi's) popularity is just enormous,"
Shoji said at his campaign office in downtown
Tokyo, where huge pictures of Koizumi and the
candidate shaking hands hung on the walls.
"If Prime Minister Koizumi had not become
premier, we might have left the LDP," the
secretary said.
Polls published Tuesday indicated that the LDP
had established a clear lead among voters who
had already made up their minds, but everything
hinged on the much larger proportion of floating
voters.
An Asahi Shimbun poll found 24 percent of
Tokyo voters had already decided to support the
LDP, while a Yomiuri Shimbun poll indicated
31.4 percent of Tokyo voters supported the
party.
"However, 46.3 percent (of the respondents)
said they were yet to decide which party to
support ... Their voting pattern is likely to decide
the election outcome," the Yomiuri said.
"This time I will vote for an LDP candidate
because I trust Prime Minister Koizumi," said
Kenichi Yabuki, a 53-year-old real estate
dealer. "I am sure that he will change Japan."
Misayo Konno, a 35-year-old kindergarten
worker, said the Koizumi factor alone was not
enough to determine which way she would vote.
"Although I like Koizumi, I will mainly base my
vote on the policies of individual candidates," she
said.
Analysts agree the impact of Koizumi's
popularity may be limited.
"The election rather depends upon each
individual candidate," said Nobuo Tomita,
honorary professor of Meiji University.
"Therefore, the real judgement on Koizumi's
policy will be delayed until the upper house
election."
Shigenori Okazaki, political analyst, UBS
Warburg, said: "Thanks to Koizumi, the LDP is
leading by a large margin in the Tokyo legislature
election."
But the final count may be "less dramatic" as the
LDP had put only 55 candidates, one seat more
than the party won in the previous election in
1997, Okazaki said.
Experts criticised candidates for putting aside
more important issues such as Tokyo's deficit,
which tops 88 billion yen (721 million dollars).
"There are a lot of things candidates should
discuss, including Tokyo's huge deficit," said
Rikkyo's Shindo. "It is more important to make
clear what candidates really want to do for this
megalopolis."
A total of 241 candidates will fight for 127
assembly seats in the city of 12 million, or 10
percent of Japan's population. Koizumi's LDP
now holds 48 seats in the assembly, the biggest
single bloc, but short of a simple majority.