10,000 Years of LDP(A Japanese Election Thread)

[Shrillland]

Shigeru Ishiba was just inaugurated as Japanese PM today, and his first act was to dissolve the House of Representatives effective October 9 and call a snap election for Sunday, October 27(same day as Uruguay incidentally)

Japan's ruling Liberal Democrats(LDP) have been having a tough time. They've seen most of their powerful factions dissolved after a massive slush fund scandal, they just came out of a bruising leadership election, in which Ishiba barely managed to win against hardline right-winger Sanae Takaichi, and the LDP is suffering record-low approval ratings. Unlike in the run-up to the 2009 election(the only Postwar Election the LDP outright lost) this disapproval isn't translating to support for other parties. Most other parties also had leadership shifts in recent weeks, the Constitutional Democrats(CDP) just had their own less dramatic leadership race in which former PM Yoshihiko Noda took the reins. The LDP's eternal coalition partners, Komeito, also had a leadership change as former Infrastructure and Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii took control in late September. Redistricting is taking place with 13 seats being changed into different prefectures and PR regions. So this election takes place under an atmosphere of change save for one thing, the LDP remains immovably in charge according to the latest polls. They're only polling at 30% , but the CDP's only at about 12%.

Here's how it'll work. The House of Representatives has 465 members, 289 FPTP seats and 176 PR seats in 11 multi-member districts. The system is asymmetrical and FPTP seats often don't have equal populations to each other(something that's been ruled illegal, but the LDP drags its feet on because it helps them so much).

Now to meet the LDP and the other ones.

Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) led by current PM Shigeru Ishiba: Right Wing, Nationalist, Conservative

Constitutional Democratic Party(CDP) led by Yoshihiko Noda: Centre to Centre-left, Social Liberal

Nippon Ishin no Kai or just Ishin(Japan Innovation Party) led by Nobuyuki Baba: Centre-right, Libertarian, Right Populist

Komeito led by Keiichi Ishii: Centre, Soka Gakkai Buddhist, Social Conservative, Buddhist Democrat, Welfarist(or Humanitarian Socialist in their words)

Japanese Communist Party(JCP) led by Tomoko Tamura: Left to Far Left, Communist, Pacifist, Progressive

Democratic Party for the People(DPFP) led by Yuichiro Tamaki: Centre to Centre-right, Conservative, Anti-Communist

Sanseito AKA the Do It Yourself Party(DIY) led by Sohei Kamiya: Far Right, Ultranationalist, Right Populist, Ultra-Conservative

Reiwa Shinsengumi(Warriors of Reiwa) led by Councillor Taro Yamamoto: Left Wing, Left Populist, Progressive

Social Democratic Party(SDP) led by Mizuho fukushima, currently in alliance with CDP: Centre-left to Left, Progressive, Pacifist, Democraitc Socialist, Social Democratic

And there are others like the NHK Party that want to kill the public broadcaster or the Japan First Party, or the Happiness Realisation Party formed by those Happy Science oddballs, plenty to choose from. Who's your choice?

Now that I'm not limited to LDP preferences, I can say I'll take CDP, though Reiwa Shinsengumi is more ideal.

[Pasong Tirad]

Recently visited Japan and I will say that, as a traveler on a budget, the consumption tax would have saved me a lot of money and I can see how Reiwa would be fairly popular for proposing it - along with its other fairly progressive policies, of course, like marriage equality, a wealth tax, all that good stuff.

The LDP will, of course, win this election. The best the opposition can hope for is increasing their seat share. Hopefully the country can get some electoral reforms soon but the LDP will no doubt oppose any change that could threaten their near-century-long grip on power.

[Liberal Malaysia]

I support the LDP.

[Shrillland]

Recently visited Japan and I will say that, as a traveler on a budget, the consumption tax would have saved me a lot of money and I can see how Reiwa would be fairly popular for proposing it - along with its other fairly progressive policies, of course, like marriage equality, a wealth tax, all that good stuff.

The LDP will, of course, win this election. The best the opposition can hope for is increasing their seat share. Hopefully the country can get some electoral reforms soon but the LDP will no doubt oppose any change that could threaten their near-century-long grip on power.

Yeah, I'm a fan of abolishing the consumption tax myself. Alas, Reiwa only has I think 3% in the latest polls.

[Shrillland]

Four of FEFA's diet members, including Maehara, to join Ishin and run with them as a unified bloc

Ishiba will be providing his policy speech to a joint session of the Diet tomorrow, which will be a repeat of the pledges in the LDP's new manifesto, such as wage increases and his hopes for the creation of a Pacific NATO

Meanwhile, on the opposition side, Noda wants CDP, JCP, DPFP, and Ishin to work together on a political reform bill in the new Diet that would abolish "policy activity expenses" that led to the creation of the slush funds that the LDP Factions had

[Shrillland]

And it's official...FEFA is now truly merged into Ishin.

With them out of the picture, I can replace them on the poll with another party that's on the rise: Sanseito AKA the Do It Yourself Party(DIY) led by Sohei Kamiya: Far Right, Ultranationalist, Right Populist, Ultra-Conservative

This is a party that once called COVID vaccines murder weapons to give you an example.

There may be more changes like this before the election period begins on the 15th, so I'll keep you posted.

[Shrillland]

CDP is up to over 200 candidates in the FPTP seats and is now trying to pack their lists for the PR seats in the hopes of a Majority Government

This after Noda's attempts to form unified tickets with Ishin and DPFP candidates as an anti-LDP Bloc went under.

[Futurist State of Flassau]

This is what having a homogeneous, isolationist Populace gets you.

[Port Carverton]

This is what having a homogeneous, isolationist Populace gets you.

Not really? The Nordic countries are pretty peaceful

[Shrillland]

This is what having a homogeneous, isolationist Populace gets you.

Not really? The Nordic countries are pretty peaceful

They're not really isolationist nor do they have the same levels of racism as Japan is somewhat known for.

[Futurist State of Flassau]

This is what having a homogeneous, isolationist Populace gets you.

Not really? The Nordic countries are pretty peaceful

Nords aren't really Isolationalist, they foster on Communities and Trade. Norway and Sweden got rich through Trade.

[Port Carverton]

Not really? The Nordic countries are pretty peaceful

They're not really isolationist nor do they have the same levels of racism as Japan is somewhat known for.

Japan isn't isolationist either nowadays.

Not really? The Nordic countries are pretty peaceful

Nords aren't really Isolationalist, they foster on Communities and Trade. Norway and Sweden got rich through Trade.

Japan also got rich from trade

[Futurist State of Flassau]

They're not really isolationist nor do they have the same levels of racism as Japan is somewhat known for.

Japan isn't isolationist either nowadays.

Nords aren't really Isolationalist, they foster on Communities and Trade. Norway and Sweden got rich through Trade.

Japan also got rich from trade

Is Japan khown for trade though, no? Norway is.

Japan is also much more Racist and much much more Xenophobic.

[Shrillland]

Ishiba's announced the LDP will not openly endorse any candidates who have had the whip taken or suspended from them as a result of the Slush Fund Scandal, including several former Cabinet members and Committee Chairs

He also say no one implicated can run for both a constituency seat and a list seat, which means roughly 30 candidates will have to make the choice which one they want. He seems to be meaning business on cleaning up, at least cosmetically.