Why didn't he just put them in suspension, instead? The government will likely remain much more solvent in that state.

submitter: What kind of a solution is that?

It's the basic solution of parliamentary democracies. No need to be all acidic about it.

I always thought Aso's leadership was rather inert. The in-fighting will be viscous.

I wonder what elements led to this situation.

I Said: I'm not too familiar with Japanese politics, so sorry if this is retarded:

The story makes it sound like the PM is saying "We're losing the Parliament? To hell with that! If my party can't have it, no one can!"

Is that really the case? Is there no check to prevent this? It seems to say that the cabinet could prevent this, but are they his appointees?

What Sybarite said, plus, it's a parliamentary system like any other. The lower house (which is what was dissolved) has elections every so often regardless, if they reach the end of their terms. If that happens, you run the election on schedule with whatever political situation happens to be going on.

But the PM can also dissolve the lower house, and force an early election. This is USUALLY what happens. Then, after the new lower house is seated, they vote for a new PM. Generally, people vote on party/coalition lines, and so the leader of the party that has the majority becomes the PM.

So it's a gamble - ideally (if you're PM) you want to dissolve the government while your party is still popular, so that when the election is held your party still has a majority, and you remain PM. Or, your party may elect another leader, but it will still be your party member as PM.

Aso has been really unpopular for a while, AND his party has been sinking in popularity too. He's toast, looks like the party is toast, but the goal is to dissolve before it gets worse than it already is as they're on a downward track.

I Said: So I'm clear, he's not trying to buck the will of the people, but honor it, correct?

Dissolving the lower house is ALWAYS described as nobly "reassessing the will of the peopel to realign the government with people's current opinions" or some shiat (and it will do that) but the timing is always, always very political and about keeping your party in power. Always.

But right now it's looking like the outside parties (mainly the Democratic Party of Japan) might take it, in which case probably the leader of that party would end up as PM. For years now they've been trying, and they've painted the elections (various ones) as a choice of who do the people want as PM, even though the PM isn't directly voted for.

I Said: Which means Japan will likely get a government that isn't as friendly to the US as the one it has now?

People on the right definitely spread that FUD. But mainly the big issues are economic, there's backlash against some of the super free market "Koizumi Revolution" policies, the "disparity of wealth society" that resulted, also yes, less enthusiasm for certain "special laws" enacted to help the US war in Iraq, etc.

FWIW though, they talk about how the LDP has been in power pretty much since the end of the war (true, except for a few years) and that's an actual issue. There are tons of parties (they keep merging and making new ones too, it's not like the US) but the LDP was on top (recently with coalitions though, notably one of the coalition parties is a Buddhist backed party that wasn't so cool with some of those war-help laws).

Thing is though, when you have one party constantly on top like that, there's still intrigue and voting manuevering and all that, it's just done in factions of that one party. So there's big leaders in the party, and each has its own fans and fundraisers and philosophies and whatever else. Past elections have been very hotly contested deals, even knowing that the PM would be the head of the LDP, so the question was who would win the head of LDP election.

The Democratic Party of Japan, meanwhile, has been making noise for years about moving to a "big two party system," meaning there would still be tons of parties (and this MATTERS in Japan because there are proportionally elected seats, so all parties get some seats in the parliament) but there would be TWO main ones at the top fighting for control. This would be a big change.

But that party has had scandals this year too, had to replace out their leader.

Still though "scandal" is not exactly alien to Japanese politics. Feels normal moving from there to IL :D

This is how parliamentary democracies work.

They'll just reform as a funkier group.

There is nothing to worry about, the regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

Molarity ensues!

SchlingFocker: Why didn't he just put them in suspension, instead? The government will likely remain much more solvent in that state.

When Parliament is supersaturated with his ideological opposites? You really can't be surprised by this sort of crystalilne focus.

So, he has dissolved the council permanently. The regional governors now have direct control over their territories.


/ if only Obama would do this. Then we could get a lot more done.

"Screw you guys, I'm goin home"

/approves

moralpanic: This is how parliamentary democracies work.

Came to say this.

Found the Japan Times article to be a little more informed. Thought I'd share.

Link (new window)

A very funny sorution indeed.

You know, in certain older civilized cultures, when men failed as entirely as you have, they would throw themselves on their swords

/too lazy to dig up the corresponding Serenity picture

dis...it's a dissolution...dear christ why...

Came here for "Sorution," leaving satisfied.

SchlingFocker: Why didn't he just put them in suspension, instead? The government will likely remain much more solvent in that state.

Good question. It's certainly not the reaction I would have gone with.

portscanner: So, he has dissolved the council permanently. The regional governors now have direct control over their territories.

/ if only Obama would do this. Then we could get a lot more done.

No, only the lower house has been dissolved. The House of Councillors is still around. They're also having a new election for the seats in August.

If I had to made a crude comparison to American politics, it would be like Obama telling the House to GTFO and then have everyone vote to refill the seats. Of course doing so would cause America to implode from another election cycle, but that's not the case in Japan.

If I recall, there was an expectation that Aso was going to do this back when he first took office. So, the only reason it's news is because he's doing it now, when his support seems to be dwindling.

I Said: Sybarite: It was actually the municipal elections that his party suffered a heavy defeat in. His approval has been sliding for some time and the opposition recently introduced a no-confidence resolution, so Aso is basically bowing to the fact that the Japanese public no longer supports him or his party as the leaders of the country. His LDP will almost certainly lose badly in the Aug. 30 elections.

Thanks for the info.

So I'm clear, he's not trying to buck the will of the people, but honor it, correct?

Which means Japan will likely get a government that isn't as friendly to the US as the one it has now?

Dissolving parliament is the first official step towards new elections. In other countries its losing a "No Confidence" vote, then Parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. It is not the first step toward dictatorship.

Aso to Parlament "all your base is berong to me"

ahh fark it.

If this were Korea, they'd all be in deep kimchee.

portscanner: So, he has dissolved the council permanently. The regional governors now have direct control over their territories.


/ if only Obama would do this. Then we could get a lot more done.

You are insane and should be sedated immediately.

TORA TORA TORA!

What's his party called again? Liberal Socialist Democrats?

+1 subby.

Bag of Hammers: There is nothing to worry about, the regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

Thought there would be a lot more of this.

crazytrpr: Dissolving parliament is the first official step towards new elections. In other countries its losing a "No Confidence" vote, then Parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. It is not the first step toward dictatorship.

You can have vote of no confidence in Japan too, same way. That way, it's the lower house betting their seats (basically, whoever starts the explosion is betting their seat, because when it all settles things might be different). So ideally you want to start things at a moment when you're popular.

But Aso doesn't have much time (the last lower house elections were almost a full 4 year term ago). The past two PM changes were not due to lower house elections but rather to the PMs abdicating, when that happens (they just "resign") the lower house is intact but elects a new PM, which means that for all intents and purposes the ruling party just picks a new leader. This abdication painted both those leaders and the party as weaksauce, too.

So the news actually said, this is one last chance for him to maybe show he has some balls, or maybe desperately just aim for any shakeup to see if he gets lucky.

The PM can also just reconfigure his cabinet, without doing anything with parliament. They do that in desperate moves to gain better approval and to oust people who choked on their own feet in public speeches, usually. But, doesn't always work so well.

The election has been scheduled for the maximum delay after dissolving the lower house (40 days, specified in the constitution). It's the longest ever, apparently. Official campaigning starts 8/18 and the vote will be 8/30. But of course, the real wheeling dealing starts now (or really, it's been going on since at least the spring if only at low levels, and it was during that the head of the Democratic Party was replaced).

"When will Aso dissolve the lower house?" and all the various considerations involved with various dates has been a big topic of conversation for a while.

I must say I appreciate the short, never-know-when campaigns, though.

People try to guess when the government will be dissolved and chat endlessly about who is big in the party and all this, aiming to see what will happen, but there's no OFFICIAL endless campaigning until right close in. There's none of the 2-year campaigns like in the US, where the elections are all rigidly scheduled.

QU!RK1019: What's his party called again? Liberal Socialist Democrats?

自由民主党, in English "Liberal Democratic Party."

Believe it or not, it's right wing.