News Analysis: Bumpy road ahead for Japan's Abe following rank-and-file backlash in LDP leadership vote

Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-20 22:34:19|Editor: Liangyu
Video PlayerClose

TOKYO, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, winning the ruling party's leadership election Thursday, will likely to become Japan's longest-serving leader, but underwhelming support shown by rank-and-file party members may spell difficulties ahead for both party and president, political analysts said.

In the leadership race, Abe's only opponent was former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba who in the run-up to the election voiced different views to Abe on constitutional reform and economic policies and ended up mounting a far-bigger challenge to the incumbent than expected.

Local political observers pointed out that while Abe has secured the top party post for a third-consecutive term, effectively ensuring his position as the nation's next prime minister owing to the ruling coalition's majorities in both chambers of parliament, Ishiba garnering far more support than expected from rank-and-file members has certainly raised some red flags looking ahead.

While Abe won 329 out of ballots cast by Diet members, and 224 by rank-and-file members, Ishiba secured 73 votes from legislators but an unexpected 181 votes from ordinary members, who closely reflect public opinion.

This, political analysts said, was to a certain extent down to increasing opposition to the prime minister's long reign amid ongoing cronyism allegations, ineffectual economic policies and the railroading through parliament of contentious legislation, including those related to security, to push forward his constitutional reform agenda.

The underwhelming support in the leadership election, described by political watchers here as a "backlash" by the LDP's rank-and-file members, is "most certainly" reflected in public opinion, specialists in politics and national ideology have maintained.

"People have begun to feel weary of slogan-only and deceptive politics and Abe's style of the privatized use of public power and hawkish stance toward diplomacy and East Asian international relations," Dr. Shin Chiba, professor with Special Appointment, who specializes in political theory, said.

Abe, following his victory, was quick to reiterate his plans to forge ahead with his career goal of revising the nation's Supreme Law for the first time since World War II, having controversially and against public and constitutional experts' opinions redefined the role of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) three years ago, to allow it to take part in collective-self defense and come to the aid of an ally under attack, even if its own territory is not threatened.

Henceforth, Abe will thus seek to secure the two-thirds majority needed in both houses of parliament and a majority in a national referendum to bring about his legacy-led revisions to the constitution, which will specifically make reference to the SDF and "purportedly" clear up its current constitutional ambiguity.

However, as recent polls have suggested, the Japanese public are far more concerned about the dire fiscal health of the nation, rather than the prime minister's singular goal of revising the Supreme Law for the first time since it took effect in 1947.

Abe's reasons for constitutional reform are both personal and political. He is a long-time devotee of constitutional reform and has used geopolitical pretexts to push forward his reforms, noted Tina Burrett, Associate Professor of Political Science at Sophia University.

"The public are split on the issue of reform... for most voters, however, the economy and public services are far more important issues," she said.

Her sentiments have been echoed by other experts on the matter, with Yu Uchiyama, a political scientist at the University of Tokyo, believing Abe's constitutional agenda is far from a straightforward one, with a public mandate on the issue possibly going awry.

"Even if Abe manages to force a revision through parliament, he would face a referendum, raising the prospect of a Brexit-style political meltdown if the people vote against him," Uchiyama said.

With public support for the premier and his Cabinet tepid at best amid myriad cronyism scandals and economic malaise perpetrated by a vastly unclear blueprint as to how to deal with the nation's ballooning social welfare costs related to its rapidly aging and shrinking society, security issues are currently not a public priority, political experts have attested.

Christian Collet, from International Christian University's Politics and International Relations faculty maintained that the Japanese populace believe that Article 9 of Japan's pacifist charter, that states that Japanese people forever renounce war and that land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained, despite Abe's aspirations, should remain as is.

"Significant segments of the public will continue to resist the efforts to revise Article 9 and there is near unanimous opposition to Japan becoming a nuclear power," the expert said.

With Abe only gaining about 55 percent of all votes at the local level in the leadership election, members in the ruling camp have been quoted as saying the figures were "shocking," particularly as they closely reflect public opinion.

LDP party members have also said that the worse-than-expected voting numbers could suggest that victory in the upper house election slated for the summer of 2019 might not be a shoo-in for the ruling camp, with an LDP executive describing the outcome of the leadership vote as "a revolt from the local regions."

Criticism is now swirling within the ruling party following Thursday's presidential election, reflecting rising dissent from factions within the party based on the lack of support for Abe staying at the helm from the party's own rank-and-file members, sources close to the matter said.

People both support and don't support him (Abe) at the same time, said Masao Matsumoto, professor in the Social Survey Research Center at Saitama University, highlighting the political and public divide.

And, Abe's sole rival in the leadership race was of the same opinion, in terms of both the ruling party and its leader and a growing lack of cohesion.

"The presidential election demonstrated the LDP is not of one color," Ishiba told a press briefing after the vote, underscoring the fact that the road ahead for the party and its president is, indeed, a bumpy one.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001374825721
乐发彩票官方网站 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票