Come-Back Prime Minister
As with the US, Japan also face a possible change in the regime.
The one brought into focus is Mr. Shinzo Aba, a former prime minister of Japan.
He was elected as prime minister in 2006, succeeding the then very popular prime minister Mr. Junichiro Koizumi. But Mr. Abe resigned next year while his ruing party LDP lost an Upper House Election due to drastic exposure of poor pension fund management by the Government. This pension problem affected tens of millions of Japanese citizens. Most of Japanese voters got angry with irresponsible administration of the Government. So, the conservative party LDP failed in the election.
Then PM Mr. Abe continued his premiership despite this strong shock wave on his administration. But he lost the balance of mind and body and his health. His chronic disease overwhelmed Mr. Abe who became one of the youngest prime minister of Japan after WWII. So, just after he delivered an opening speech to a new session of the parliament, he fell and entered the hospital.
The public was astonished and then got angry at Mr. Abe, since PM Mr. Abe should have stepped down before a new session of the national Diet began if he had checked his physical condition so carefully. It looked like a big shame. This incident had some influence of the defeat of the LDP in the 2009 general election and the subsequent regime change from the conservative LDP-led government to the socialistic DPJ centric administration.
But now lawmaker Mr. Abe has come back as he was elected as the president of the LDP, which is now an opposition party, again this September. According to various opinion surveys, it is expected that the LDP will take over power again from the ruling DPJ PM Mr. Noda commands after the next general election.
So, now Mr. Abe is pressing Mr. Noda to resolve the Lower House as Mr. Noda so promised to the former president of LDP Mr. Tanigaki as PM Noda made the deal with Mr. Tanigaki in this August to get support for passing a critical bill in exchange of holding a snap election Mr. Tanigaki and the LDP wanted.
So, when the general election is held in near future and the LDP wins as expected, Japan will have the first come-back prime minister in this era after WWII.
Yet, incumbent PM Mr. Noda looks die-hard continuing his administration as long as possible. The biggest concern in the Japanese politics is how and when Mr. Abe, a notable nationalistic politician, can force PM Mr. Noda to hold a decisive and fatal election.
Incidentally. the current status of occupancy in the Lower House is:
DPJ 245
LDP 119
Seikatus/Kizuna 47
Komei 21
Others (including Communist Party, etc.) 47
The majority line is 240.
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Mar 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.