Seijigiri #55: Hatoyama to head the DPJ and lots of election talk

Filed under: Seijigiri Releases, Trans-Pacific Radio
Posted by Ken Worsley at 11:13 pm on Monday, May 18, 2009

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It has been some time since the last Seijigiri release, and co-hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley pick things up by diving straight into current events. First, last Saturday’s election of Yukio Hatoyama as DPJ Party President is analyzed. After that, talk turns to the Lower House election which must be held by October 19, as the term of the Lower House will expire on September 11. The discussion first centers on when the election might happen, then moves on to consider what issues will come up during the election, and finally turns to how recent events have affected election outcome predictions.

This edition of Seijigiri concludes with a special rant.

As always, thank you for listening.

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5 Comments »

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Comment by Ken Worsley

May 21, 2009 @ 1:05 am

Whatever happened to the Hatoyama izakaya in Shimbash?

Comment by Our Man in Abiko

May 23, 2009 @ 9:08 pm

Just got round to listening to this one. Very good. Our Man especially liked the rant. What seemed impossible six months ago - an Aso victory - seems, if not likely, at least feasible. Would Our Man be mad to call the election for Aso and the forces of evil?

Comment by Ken Worsley

May 24, 2009 @ 12:23 pm

Thanks OMIA. I was just talking to someone last night about the Aso victory scenario. It really couldn’t happen to a less deserving person.

Comment by Ken

May 25, 2009 @ 11:20 am

As if on cue, I opened the Japan Times this morning to find a reprint of the AFP article on the supposed “surge” of the Japan Communist Party. JT doesn’t seem to have it online, but MSN does: Communist party gains as Japan economy sinks

The article makes a claim I’ve seen elsewhere: “[D]isaffection with mainstream political parties and labour unions has seen its membership surge by 1,000 people a month.”

This could be true. But, is a rise of 1,000 people a month above replacement level of those members leaving the party and/or dying? Does this refer to the number of new members or net gain?

It will be interesting to see how the party fares in this year’s election.

Comment by Ken Worsley

May 29, 2009 @ 11:31 am

More on this pointless debate in the next edition of Seijigiri: Opinion: Time to encourage Japan and South Korea to go nuclear?

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