[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
DPJ and two allies plotting joint pledges
Coalition hopefuls' shared goals
Kyodo News
The Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) are planning joint campaign pledges for the Aug. 30 election, vowing to boost disposable income and turn the export-oriented economy into one led by domestic demand.
Putting priority on support of the people's livelihoods, sources from the three opposition parties said Friday the group will not raise the 5 percent consumption tax for at least four years and will review the splitup of the nation's postal services into four companies.
The DPJ plans to call on the two other parties to join in a ruling coalition if the opposition camp succeeds in driving the governing Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito, from power in the Lower House poll.
The three parties will promote their negotiations on forming a coalition based on the joint campaign platform, the sources said.
In the platform, the three parties also pledged to provide monthly child allowances to families with small children and build more child care facilities to eradicate the waiting lists to get into such facilities.
The parties will revive extra benefits for mother-and-child families that depend on welfare.
In the social welfare field, the platform proposes abolishing the current \220 billion curb on the annual growth of social security outlays and resolving the pension record-keeping fiasco.
The parties agreed to impose a ban on the dispatch of temporary workers to the manufacturing industry and to establish legislation to protect temp workers.
The platform proposes enacting a law to create a consultative body of the central and local governments in order to revitalize provincial areas.
It also calls for enacting a law to ban financial institutions from forcibly withdrawing loans to or from cutting back in lending to small firms, the sources said.
More DPJ candidates
The Democratic Party of Japan is moving to triple or quadruple the number of its candidates for the proportional representation part of a Lower House election, realizing it is in a good position to score a major victory, according to party sources.
The DPJ, which enjoys a lead over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in opinion polls, is likely to list at least 30 to 40 candidates only for the proportional representation portion of the Aug. 30 poll — a record number for the main opposition party, which fielded just 10 in September 2005.
The move comes as the odds are becoming high that many of those with DPJ "double-candidacies," who are expected to be listed in both single-seat electoral districts and proportional representation blocks, would secure seats through the single-seat system.
That leaves additional DPJ candidates with a chance of being elected in the proportional representation race, in which seats are allocated according to the share of votes a political party has garnered in an election.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
Your Party claims DPJ cooperation deal
Kyodo News
Your Party, a new minor party, will seek to cooperate with the Democratic Party of Japan after the Aug. 30 general election, according to its leader, former Liberal Democratic Party member Yoshimi Watanabe.
"I confirmed about general cooperation" with DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama and acting leader Naoto Kan when meeting with them one or two months ago, Watanabe told reporters Thursday in Tokyo.
While declining to say whether his party would seek to form a coalition government with the DPJ, which opinion polls indicate may win the election, Watanabe said, "It's an undeniable fact that what we are both saying and our directions are similar.
"Postelection cooperation is possible," he said.
Your Party, or Minna no To, was formed Aug. 8 with three other former House of Representatives members and one current House of Councilors member. It is running in the Lower House election under the banner of "de-bureaucracy," regional autonomy and an emphasis on people's livelihoods.
The DPJ, the largest opposition force, has so far expressed its intention to form a coalition with two smaller opposition groups — the Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) — if it takes power.
Watanabe stressed that his party, comprised mostly of former LDP and DPJ members, is neither of those two anymore. "We are a group acting on our own for a change of government."
Watanabe, who broke from the LDP in January, declared he will act as an "encoffineer" for the embattled party, just like the main character in the Oscar-winning Japanese film "Departures" who washes, dresses and prepares bodies before placing them in a coffin.
"The biggest cause of the LDP's end is its inability to stop relying on bureaucrats," said Watanabe, a former state minister in charge of administrative reform, adding he was dismayed at the decline in the long-ruling party's ability to govern.
"It's better for the LDP to reset itself here and now, but once reset, it may not be able to resuscitate itself," Watanabe said, urging his former colleagues in the LDP to join his party in that event.
The campaign platforms of Your Party and the DPJ have much in common, including their disapproval of and willingness to depart from bureaucrat-led politics.
But the DPJ could be stifled by its reliance on support from civil servant unions when trying to follow through on its promise to take government policy out of the hands of bureaucrats and to empower politicians, Watanabe said.
"It's possible that the DPJ reforms could end up being half-baked," he said. "If you are shackled, it's hard to take a hack at vested interests."
l
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
Saito offers up to emissions options
Kyodo News
Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito presented two scenarios Friday for Japan to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions by 80 percent from the 2005 levels by 2050 to curb global warming, through such efforts as a 40 percent cut in energy consumption and greater use of low-carbon resources, including renewable energy.
"By 2050, global greenhouse gas emissions are at least required to be halved from the current levels. To do so, developed countries need to cut emissions by more than 80 percent," Saito said. "Japan should also commit itself to the goal of an 80 percent reduction. These scenarios show that appropriate policies will enable Japan to achieve this."
Saito drew on a July accord by leaders of the Group of Eight nations in Italy to urge developed nations as a whole to slash emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 80 percent or more by 2050 compared with 1990 or more recent years.
Saito introduced two scenarios. One is based on policies prioritizing economic growth, urbanization and technological innovations and the other focused on conserving nature and keeping communities vibrant.
The former envisions annual per capital economic growth of 2 percent, while the latter foresees 1 percent growth.
In both scenarios, the 80 percent emission cut goal will be achievable, Saito said. Annual per capita carbon dioxide in Japan will be 2.4 tons if the country realizes the 2050 target, down from 9.6 tons in 2005, he added.
Saito said his proposals are aimed at stirring national debate on how Japan can slash its greenhouse gas emissions over the long term and he urged public support and efforts to achieve the target.
The National Institute for Environment Studies, which helped compile Saito's scenarios, calculated in 2007 the additional investments required for Japan on the assumption that Tokyo will trim greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2050 from the 1990 levels.
At that time, the institute concluded that \700 billion to \2 trillion will be needed per year to achieve the goal. The ministry said necessary additional investments will be slightly bigger to realize Saito's scenarios.
Specifically, Saito said the ratio of renewable energy, including solar and wind power, in the primary energy supply should be raised to 28 percent if Japan takes the urbanization scenario and to 40 percent under the other plan.
All vehicles should be replaced with electric cars if the country follows the growth-oriented path, and under the other scenario, 50 percent should be electric cars and the other 50 percent hybrid vehicles.
The ministry also envisions introducing carbon sequestration technologies at thermal power plants and burying carbon dioxide as well as highly heat-insulating and energy-conserving building materials.
Saito also pointed out that it is necessary at some point to adopt an environment tax, or levies on carbon dioxide emissions, and launch a full-fledged emissions trading system.
The minister expressed hope that his scenarios will be approved by the Cabinet and become an official position of the government. So far, Tokyo upholds the so-called "Fukuda Vision," set by former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in June 2008, in which Japan pledges to slash domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent to 80 percent by 2050 from the current levels.
However, the ideas may face resistance as Japanese companies are against radical emissions-cutting measures that could negatively affect their business.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
DPJ and two allies plotting joint pledges
Coalition hopefuls' shared goals
Kyodo News
The Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) are planning joint campaign pledges for the Aug. 30 election, vowing to boost disposable income and turn the export-oriented economy into one led by domestic demand.
Putting priority on support of the people's livelihoods, sources from the three opposition parties said Friday the group will not raise the 5 percent consumption tax for at least four years and will review the splitup of the nation's postal services into four companies.
The DPJ plans to call on the two other parties to join in a ruling coalition if the opposition camp succeeds in driving the governing Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito, from power in the Lower House poll.
The three parties will promote their negotiations on forming a coalition based on the joint campaign platform, the sources said.
In the platform, the three parties also pledged to provide monthly child allowances to families with small children and build more child care facilities to eradicate the waiting lists to get into such facilities.
The parties will revive extra benefits for mother-and-child families that depend on welfare.
In the social welfare field, the platform proposes abolishing the current \220 billion curb on the annual growth of social security outlays and resolving the pension record-keeping fiasco.
The parties agreed to impose a ban on the dispatch of temporary workers to the manufacturing industry and to establish legislation to protect temp workers.
The platform proposes enacting a law to create a consultative body of the central and local governments in order to revitalize provincial areas.
It also calls for enacting a law to ban financial institutions from forcibly withdrawing loans to or from cutting back in lending to small firms, the sources said.
More DPJ candidates
The Democratic Party of Japan is moving to triple or quadruple the number of its candidates for the proportional representation part of a Lower House election, realizing it is in a good position to score a major victory, according to party sources.
The DPJ, which enjoys a lead over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in opinion polls, is likely to list at least 30 to 40 candidates only for the proportional representation portion of the Aug. 30 poll — a record number for the main opposition party, which fielded just 10 in September 2005.
The move comes as the odds are becoming high that many of those with DPJ "double-candidacies," who are expected to be listed in both single-seat electoral districts and proportional representation blocks, would secure seats through the single-seat system.
That leaves additional DPJ candidates with a chance of being elected in the proportional representation race, in which seats are allocated according to the share of votes a political party has garnered in an election.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
Your Party claims DPJ cooperation deal
Kyodo News
Your Party, a new minor party, will seek to cooperate with the Democratic Party of Japan after the Aug. 30 general election, according to its leader, former Liberal Democratic Party member Yoshimi Watanabe.
"I confirmed about general cooperation" with DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama and acting leader Naoto Kan when meeting with them one or two months ago, Watanabe told reporters Thursday in Tokyo.
While declining to say whether his party would seek to form a coalition government with the DPJ, which opinion polls indicate may win the election, Watanabe said, "It's an undeniable fact that what we are both saying and our directions are similar.
"Postelection cooperation is possible," he said.
Your Party, or Minna no To, was formed Aug. 8 with three other former House of Representatives members and one current House of Councilors member. It is running in the Lower House election under the banner of "de-bureaucracy," regional autonomy and an emphasis on people's livelihoods.
The DPJ, the largest opposition force, has so far expressed its intention to form a coalition with two smaller opposition groups — the Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) — if it takes power.
Watanabe stressed that his party, comprised mostly of former LDP and DPJ members, is neither of those two anymore. "We are a group acting on our own for a change of government."
Watanabe, who broke from the LDP in January, declared he will act as an "encoffineer" for the embattled party, just like the main character in the Oscar-winning Japanese film "Departures" who washes, dresses and prepares bodies before placing them in a coffin.
"The biggest cause of the LDP's end is its inability to stop relying on bureaucrats," said Watanabe, a former state minister in charge of administrative reform, adding he was dismayed at the decline in the long-ruling party's ability to govern.
"It's better for the LDP to reset itself here and now, but once reset, it may not be able to resuscitate itself," Watanabe said, urging his former colleagues in the LDP to join his party in that event.
The campaign platforms of Your Party and the DPJ have much in common, including their disapproval of and willingness to depart from bureaucrat-led politics.
But the DPJ could be stifled by its reliance on support from civil servant unions when trying to follow through on its promise to take government policy out of the hands of bureaucrats and to empower politicians, Watanabe said.
"It's possible that the DPJ reforms could end up being half-baked," he said. "If you are shackled, it's hard to take a hack at vested interests."
l
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
Saito offers up to emissions options
Kyodo News
Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito presented two scenarios Friday for Japan to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions by 80 percent from the 2005 levels by 2050 to curb global warming, through such efforts as a 40 percent cut in energy consumption and greater use of low-carbon resources, including renewable energy.
"By 2050, global greenhouse gas emissions are at least required to be halved from the current levels. To do so, developed countries need to cut emissions by more than 80 percent," Saito said. "Japan should also commit itself to the goal of an 80 percent reduction. These scenarios show that appropriate policies will enable Japan to achieve this."
Saito drew on a July accord by leaders of the Group of Eight nations in Italy to urge developed nations as a whole to slash emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 80 percent or more by 2050 compared with 1990 or more recent years.
Saito introduced two scenarios. One is based on policies prioritizing economic growth, urbanization and technological innovations and the other focused on conserving nature and keeping communities vibrant.
The former envisions annual per capital economic growth of 2 percent, while the latter foresees 1 percent growth.
In both scenarios, the 80 percent emission cut goal will be achievable, Saito said. Annual per capita carbon dioxide in Japan will be 2.4 tons if the country realizes the 2050 target, down from 9.6 tons in 2005, he added.
Saito said his proposals are aimed at stirring national debate on how Japan can slash its greenhouse gas emissions over the long term and he urged public support and efforts to achieve the target.
The National Institute for Environment Studies, which helped compile Saito's scenarios, calculated in 2007 the additional investments required for Japan on the assumption that Tokyo will trim greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2050 from the 1990 levels.
At that time, the institute concluded that \700 billion to \2 trillion will be needed per year to achieve the goal. The ministry said necessary additional investments will be slightly bigger to realize Saito's scenarios.
Specifically, Saito said the ratio of renewable energy, including solar and wind power, in the primary energy supply should be raised to 28 percent if Japan takes the urbanization scenario and to 40 percent under the other plan.
All vehicles should be replaced with electric cars if the country follows the growth-oriented path, and under the other scenario, 50 percent should be electric cars and the other 50 percent hybrid vehicles.
The ministry also envisions introducing carbon sequestration technologies at thermal power plants and burying carbon dioxide as well as highly heat-insulating and energy-conserving building materials.
Saito also pointed out that it is necessary at some point to adopt an environment tax, or levies on carbon dioxide emissions, and launch a full-fledged emissions trading system.
The minister expressed hope that his scenarios will be approved by the Cabinet and become an official position of the government. So far, Tokyo upholds the so-called "Fukuda Vision," set by former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in June 2008, in which Japan pledges to slash domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent to 80 percent by 2050 from the current levels.
However, the ideas may face resistance as Japanese companies are against radical emissions-cutting measures that could negatively affect their business.
※コメント投稿者のブログIDはブログ作成者のみに通知されます