Seijigiri #61 - The Budget, Campaign Finance Scandals, the LDP, PR voting rights and soft power
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In this edition of Seijigiri, co-hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley take a look at the 2010 budget, which was recently passed by the lower house and is thus guaranteed to become the official budget.
From there, the show moves on to examine the ongoing campaign finance scandals that threaten to undermine DPJ leadership. This leads to a discussion of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s plummeting approval ratings and his soaring disapproval ratings.
Up next is a quick look at the LDP and what they are doing as an opposition party amidst calls for their leader to resign. Will the LDP itself survive as a party?
The show ends with short discussions on the decision to shelve the bill the would allow permanent residents the right to vote in local elections and the recently proposed idea that troubles at Toyota would undermine Japan’s soft power influence.
Futenma and whaling, unfortunately, will have to wait until next time.
Related Posts:
- Seijigiri #40: The MSDF heads out, Gasoline and Capital Gains Taxes, Fukuda’s Policy Speech, and the 2008 National Budget
- Seijigiri #41: The Budget is Passed, and Fukuda is Feeling the Pressure
- Seijigiri #56: North Korea, a new US ambassador, Aso and Hatoyama square off, and a look at the the extra budget
- Joseph Nye to be Next US Ambassador to Japan?
- Live Webcast of General Election August 30th
