Liberal Democratic Party of Japan suffered a defeat from oppositional Democratic Party on elections of Tokyo City council, News agency Kiodo Tsusin informed on Sunday. In spite of the fact that prime minister Taro Aso and the party headed by him repeatedly stressed that capital elections are only regional, denying influence of their outcome on the state of political sympathies of voters, the majority of analysts have opinion that parliamentary elections in Tokyo will undoubtedly make considerable impact on electorate and will show real balance of political forces in the country.
Following the results of elections Democratic Party will receive 54 places from 127 in capital parliament, Liberal Democratic Party - 38, Komeito close to it - 23, Communist Party of Japan - 8, Independent and candidates of Party of Citizens of Tokyo - 4 parliamentary places.
Thus, fraction of democrats becomes the most numerous in Tokyo parliament. Even if Liberal Democratic Party would enter into coalition with Komeito Party, that is rather probable, than the rupture with democrats and their possible allies in parliament appears not in favour of Liberal Democratic Party: coalition LDP-Komeito has 61 places against 66 of the present opposition headed by Democratic Party.
On last parliamentary elections in 2005 in Tokyo Liberal democratic Party got 48 places, while Democratic Party - 34 places.
Parliamentary elections in Japan should take place not later than September, 10th of this year. If tendencies of the capital elections remain till that time, power change will take place for the first time for almost 50 years in Japan - oppositional Democratic Party will become ruling.
From editorial board: Actually Japan long time has been considered democratic country and one of "free world" strongholds represents rather authoritative political system where there are vestiges of clan-feudal country organisation. The largest concerns of Japan grew directly from princely families and political parties represent as a matter of fact representations of these clan structures.
Sights, level and type of education and so on Japan, of course, is for a long time purely western country and political lay of things is in obvious conflict with the needs of a society. 50 years of boarding of "uniform Japanese" are, probably, too much.
But "perestroyka" in Japan will lead to sharp changes in the country, to disappearance of absolute power of feudal and criminal clans, to more free internal mechanism of ruling - after all despite of exterior "Europeanism" the Japanese themselves living long in Russia call native land "concentration camp with nourishing diet". What is characteristic is that they do not hurry up to return home even after termination of the contract: "Yes, they say, you in Russia have disorder but you do not understand how free you are". At that it concerns also the Soviet period - internal freedom of the Soviet person even then was attractive for the Japs.
So, quite often wealthy Japanese, having spent several years in Russia, get habitation in Moscow, marry, give birth to children here and stay here for ever. While, strangely enough, opposite things happen less often - Japan is not that society where the stranger, especially with obvious exterior differences can easily enter local environment.
Obviously, the Japanese hope for internal changes in the society, refusal of authoritarian society organization with arrival of democratic and left parties to power to change cloying Liberal Democratic Party.
А.B.
