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Japan's democrats rising in the polls
Source: Agencies |
May 19, 2009, Tuesday
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JAPAN'S opposition Democratic Party has revived its chances of ousting Prime Minister Taro Aso's party in a looming election after replacing its scandal-tainted leader, media polls showed yesterday.
A Democratic victory would end more than five decades of almost unbroken Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule and raise the possibility of breaking through a political deadlock that has stymied policy implementation in a recession.
The Democrats' new leader, Yukio Hatoyama, is struggling with an image as a close ally of predecessor Ichiro Ozawa, whose scandal had narrowed the Democrats' lead over the LDP before a general election that media speculate may be held in August.
Still, a survey by the daily Yomiuri newspaper showed 41 percent of voters planned to cast their ballots for the Democrats in the election, up from 30 percent in a previous poll.
That compared with 27 percent for the LDP, unchanged from the earlier poll.
"Voters are thinking the Democrats are fine as long as Ozawa is not the leader," said Masaki Taniguchi, associate professor of Japanese politics at the University of Tokyo.
"Hatoyama won't be hugely popular among voters, but for those fed up with the LDP, they now have nothing to hold them back from voting for the Democrats."
The Democrats posted gains in other newspaper surveys as well, although an initial poll by the Kyodo news agency had shown only a tiny bounce.
A poll by the Asahi newspaper showed 38 percent of voters planned to vote for the Democrats, up from 32 percent against 25 percent for the LDP, down two points.
A Democratic victory would end more than five decades of almost unbroken Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule and raise the possibility of breaking through a political deadlock that has stymied policy implementation in a recession.
The Democrats' new leader, Yukio Hatoyama, is struggling with an image as a close ally of predecessor Ichiro Ozawa, whose scandal had narrowed the Democrats' lead over the LDP before a general election that media speculate may be held in August.
Still, a survey by the daily Yomiuri newspaper showed 41 percent of voters planned to cast their ballots for the Democrats in the election, up from 30 percent in a previous poll.
That compared with 27 percent for the LDP, unchanged from the earlier poll.
"Voters are thinking the Democrats are fine as long as Ozawa is not the leader," said Masaki Taniguchi, associate professor of Japanese politics at the University of Tokyo.
"Hatoyama won't be hugely popular among voters, but for those fed up with the LDP, they now have nothing to hold them back from voting for the Democrats."
The Democrats posted gains in other newspaper surveys as well, although an initial poll by the Kyodo news agency had shown only a tiny bounce.
A poll by the Asahi newspaper showed 38 percent of voters planned to vote for the Democrats, up from 32 percent against 25 percent for the LDP, down two points.
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