Japan votes for change

by RAY FLEMING
ALTHOUGH the predicted electoral earthquake took place in Japan on Sunday, its aftershocks may not be as pronounced as many people expect. Yes, after 54 years of almost uninterrupted rule the Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) has been humiliated by the electorate, with its parliamentary representation reduced from 300 to 119. And yes, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has been given power with a wide working majority in both houses of parliament. The Japanese people have apparently voted for change yet there are real doubts about how far the state of the economy, only just emerging from the worst recession since the 1950s, will permit the introduction of the DPJ policies that obviously appealed to the voters. Among these were popular promises to invest heavily in educational reforms and in social programmes to give greater security to one of the world's most elderly societies. The new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, was once a member of LDP but left it 15 years ago in protest against corruption scandals. His younger brother is still a member of LDP and has held ministerial posts. His grandfather was LDP's first prime minister in 1954 and his father has served as foreign minister. Japanese politics are intensely dynastic in character and it will be interesting to see how far Hatoyama will be able to deliver the change that the voters seem to want. Or did they just want to see the back of the worn-out LDP?