Election tomorrow :
Japan opposition poised for poll win
JAPAN: Japan’s opposition Democratic Party is keeping up its momentum
and looks poised for a huge victory over the long-ruling conservative
party in Sunday’s election for parliament’s lower house, media said on
Friday.
A clear Democratic Party win would end 54 years of almost unbroken
rule by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and break a deadlock in
parliament, where the opposition and its allies control the less
powerful upper chamber and can delay bills.
A big victory would mean the Democrats would have to pay less
attention to their small allies on the left and the right, making policy
formation easier. Financial markets would also welcome a decisive
election outcome. The Mainichi newspaper, based on a detailed survey,
said the Democrats appeared set to win a two-thirds majority in the
lower house, a prediction in line with other media polls this week.
The Yomiuri newspaper said while some LDP candidates were catching up
with their Democratic rivals, this was unlikely to change the trend
much, adding that around 20 percent of voters were still not sure who
they would vote for.
Analysts have said the tide was unlikely to turn in the LDP’s favour
at this late stage. The Democrats have promised to focus spending on
households, cut waste and wrest control of policy from the hands of
bureaucrats. But their pledge not to raise the 5 percent sales tax for
the next four years has raised concerns about further inflating Japan’s
already huge public debt.
Japan’s jobless rate hit a record high of 5.7 percent in July and
deflation deepened as household spending fell 2.0 percent from a year
earlier. TOKYO, Friday, Reuters |