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Editorial
Japan’s Leadership Merry-Go-RoundPublished: September 6, 2010
Japan’s frequent leadership changes are dizzying and increasingly counterproductive. The country has had 14 prime ministers in the last two decades and could soon have another. That would make three in the last 12 months alone — hardly time enough to introduce new policies, much less effectively implement them.
This phenomenon would make successful governance difficult in any country. But Japan is the world’s third largest economy and a technological and regional power. It needs a prime minister who can offer robust, principled leadership over a sustained period, win support for economic policies that would help pull the world out of recession and maintain a strong alliance with the United States.
The decision is expected on Sept. 14 when the ruling Democratic Party of Japan chooses a new party chief. As leader of the majority party, the winner would almost surely become prime minister. Ichiro Ozawa, a longtime power broker, said last week that he would face-off against Naoto Kan, who has been the prime minister for three months.
Mr. Kan has more popular support. Mr. Ozawa — who has largely operated in the political shadows — has more chits with the party members who will actually elect the party chief. Analysts say the contest is too close to call. Both men have their flaws but are preferable to the last few prime ministers under the Liberal Democratic Party, which governed for most of 50 years until the Democratic Party of Japan broke the hold in August last year.
Mr. Kan is being challenged because he lost control of the Upper House in a July election. Mr. Ozawa, who is known for his deal-making skills but has never held a governing position, is bedeviled by a political funding scandal and could yet be indicted.
Whoever wins, the first priority has to be the economy. Although constrained by a public debt approaching 100 percent of its gross domestic product and a fiscal deficit hovering around 10 percent of G.D.P., Japan needs to do more to stimulate domestic demand — to deal with the immediate emergency and diminish its dependence on exports as an economic engine. This requires maintaining fiscal stimulus. It also requires a longer-term strategy that encourages spending by households.
At a joint news conference last week, Mr. Ozawa was more aggressive about wanting to boost spending to lift growth, including increasing monthly allowances to families with children and to farmers. Mr. Kan focused more on reducing the public debt — a bad idea during a recession — and doubling the sales tax to 10 percent.
Reinforcing close relations with the United States is also important. Mr. Kan has promised to move forward with a long-debated plan to relocate an American Air Force base on Okinawa. Mr. Ozawa wants to reopen negotiations — yet again. He needs to reconsider that unrealistic position because he admits he has no alternative proposals and the Americans are certain to balk. For too long, the base controversy has strained bilateral security ties. His comment last month that Americans are simple “single-celled organisms” doesn’t seem to be the best way to make new friends.
Once the choice is made, we hope the next prime minister is around long enough to enact coherent economic and diplomatic policies. Revolving-door leaders with constantly shifting agendas are not in Japan’s interest — or the rest of the world’s.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/opinion/07tue2.html
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