Japan's Koizumi is in the driver's seat on reform

DPA, TOKYO
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005, Page 9

ILLUSTRATION: YU SHA

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi doesn't want to waste any time.

A day after the landslide victory of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in elections to pick a new lower house of parliament, Koizumi on Monday announced a special session of the Diet, beginning next week, to push through his proposed postal privatization, the cornerstone of his economic reforms and of the LDP election campaign.

Political commentators said they hoped he wouldn't stop there.

"Postal privatization is just one of the important issues in Japan's politics," Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest daily, wrote on Monday's editorial page. "... The most urgent task that Koizumi has to tackle in the immediate future is social security system reform, including reform of the public pension system.

"Fiscal rehabilitation also cannot be postponed," the editorial said.

A second came from the leading financial newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun: "Prime Minister Koizumi should respond to the hopes of voters and not stop at postal privatization. He should speed up structural reforms such as fiscal reforms of both central and local governments and cuts in health-care costs."

Political analysts said that after Koizumi based his entire election campaign on reform, forced out members of his party who opposed his plans and rode that wave to a resounding LDP victory as well as a better position for himself within the party, he will have no more excuses -- he must achieve results on reform.

Koizumi, speaking the morning after the election victory, expressed confidence in the quick passage of his postal reforms.

However, observers also expressed doubts about whether Koizumi, who has so far had a poor record in implementing reforms, would be able to achieve sweeping change.

While Koizumi's supporters had substantially increased in the House of Representatives, the upper House of Councillors, which is where the prime minister's postal reforms had met their demise, remained unchanged.

In addition, the numbers of the old LDP guard and opponents of Koizumi's reforms in the House of Representatives had indeed been reduced and voters also elected substantially more young and female members of parliament, but the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said it remained to be seen whether the LDP has truly transformed itself.

Sunday's election marked a departure in Japanese politics, which had before been party-centric and patronage-based. With his personal involvement -- from handpicking candidates to run against LDP members who opposed his policies to appearances on the campaign trial touting his reform plans -- he transformed the campaign into one that was policy- and personality-driven and reawakened voter interest in politics.

Commentators said the campaign was noteworthy especially for Koizumi's ability to make voters feel as if they had a say in a system known for its behind-closed-doors politics.

But those tactics also brought risks. Mainichi Shimbun said voters not only cast their ballots for postal reform but for wider change.

It called Koizumi "irresponsible" in not talking about issues other than postal reform.

Asahi Shimbun agreed, writing, "The prime minister constantly avoided focusing on issues such as constitutional revision and the deadlocked foreign policy."

Critics expressed concern about the country's dispatch of troops to Iraq; its relations with its Asian neighbors, which have worsened under Koizumi's tenure; conservative and nationalistic tendencies in the government; and Japan's resolve to keep its pacifist constitution.

"It is wrong to believe this overwhelming victory means every aspect of Koizumi politics has gained confidence," the Asahi Shimbun added.

Now, three days after the euphoria of a better-than-expected election victory, comes the hangover: higher voter expectations and a tough look at the political reality.