|
|
 Japan Brief |
| 【Japan Brief】Inauguration of the Hatoyama Cabinet |
Japan Brief/FPCJ, No. 0955
September 18, 2009
Inauguration of the Hatoyama Cabinet
In the afternoon of September 16 Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama was designated as the ninety-third prime minister of Japan; he is the sixtieth person to hold the post. After his designation, the new prime minister immediately entered the Prime Minister’s Office and announced his 17-member cabinet. In the evening of the same day a prime minister’s investiture and cabinet ministers’ attestation ceremony performed by the Emperor were held at the Imperial Palace, thus officially inaugurating the coalition government of Prime Minister Hatoyama comprising the DPJ, Social Democratic Party, and People’s New Party. It is the first time in postwar Japan for a change of government to take place after an opposition party gained an outright majority in a general election for the House of Representatives.
According to major newspaper reports, at the first press conference after his appointment, held in the evening of September 16, Prime Minister Hatoyama declared his determination to realize politics that sheds its dependence on the bureaucracy. He also indicated his intention to give top priority to measures to stimulate household budgets, such as the establishment of a child allowance and abolition of the provisional gasoline tax rate, which the DPJ pledged in its election manifesto. With regard to financial sources for these measures, Prime Minister Hatoyama said that “for the first fiscal year, we are certain that we can secure the necessary amount, which is somewhat over 7 trillion yen” by thoroughly reviewing wasteful spending. The new prime minister added that he would immediately launch the Administrative Reform Council in order to eliminate administrative waste. Prime Minister Hatoyama also indicated his intention to thoroughly review the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget, under which some projects have already been started, but added, “We will give careful consideration to such cases where work has already begun and there would be serious consequences should this be halted.” Regarding compilation of the fiscal 2010 budget, Prime Minister Hatoyama said that budgetary requests by ministries and agencies “will be reconsidered from a zero-based budgeting approach” but added that he would aim to compile a budget draft by the end of the year.
Regarding his talks with US President Barack Obama scheduled for late September, when Prime Minister Hatoyama will attend a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister commented, “The main thrust of this [summit] meeting will be to foster a relationship of trust. I believe it is important to spend a certain amount of time on a comprehensive review of the range of issues in the Japan-US relationship, including that of security-related issues.”
Also in the evening of September 16 the new cabinet met and decided on a basic policy stipulating the framework of politics-led decision making, such as the establishment of the National Strategy Office as the precursor of the National Strategy Bureau, which among other things will compile the outline of the budget; the integration of government and ruling party decision making; and the abolition of meetings of administrative vice-ministers (top bureaucrats). In addition, at an informal gathering of ministers after the cabinet meeting, it was confirmed that the relationship between politics and bureaucracy would be one in which politicians draft, coordinate, and decide policies in a responsible manner and bureaucrats provide assistance in this process.
Newspaper Editorials
On September 17 Japan’s five major newspapers all carried editorials on the inauguration of the new government. Most of the editorials expressed expectations for the realization of politics that is not dependent on the bureaucracy, but also voiced concern about the new government’s foreign policy and urged flexible and speedy compilation of the budget.
Remarking that the public is hoping the new cabinet will change the Liberal Democratic Party’s style of politics, the Yomiuri Shimbun editorial cautioned that “The new cabinet should be prudent enough to maintain the fundamental policies adhered to by successive governments in the past, given that these policies can set a chart for this nation’s future” and “the Democratic Party of Japan should not cling too tenaciously to the pledges it made for the lower house election.” Regarding the cabinet lineup, it commented, “Though the makeup of the new cabinet seems solid, it seems to lack a certain freshness.” The Yomiuri remarked that the National Strategy Bureau and the Administrative Reform Council will hold the keys to achieving politics that is not dependent on the bureaucracy. It urged the former to exert watchful management to ensure both economic recovery and financial sources and the latter to display “powerful political leadership that can weed out resistance by bureaucrats and relevant organizations.” On the diplomatic side, the Yomiuri called on the Hatoyama cabinet to continue the refueling operations by the Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Indian Ocean in some form or other, steadily implement the Japan-US agreement on the realignment of US forces in Japan, and respond to North Korea in cooperation with the United States, China, South Korea, and Russia.
Noting that there is no exuberant euphoria among voters and that the public will be carefully scrutinizing the new administration, the Asahi Shimbun editorial said that “What Hatoyama must do first of all is send out a powerful and decisive message to convince cool-headed voters that he is serious about bringing about real change.” It observed that although the new prime minister seems capable of assessing his political situation objectively and is tough, his inadequate explanation of false political donations reports and his tendency to speak casually and carelessly raise a little concern.
The Mainichi Shimbun editorial praised the new cabinet as a “considered choice” that emphasizes balance within the DPJ and a sense of stability and at the same time tries to give people the image of firmness. First of all, it went on, “the task of the new government will be to root out the evils of the old administration.” In particular, the Mainichi expressed hope that the wasteful use of taxpayers’ money, sectionalized bureaucracy, the principle of following precedents, and the collusion between politicians, bureaucrats, and business circles would be eliminated. It pointed out the importance of the National Strategy Bureau’s establishment, the abolition of the meetings of administrative vice-ministers, and the role to be played by the Administrative Reform Council. The Mainichi also stated that the disclosure of information and materials, including verification of the existence of secret agreements between Japan and the United States, is a duty of the government.
Regarding the functions of the National Strategy Office, The Nikkei editorial commented that the sharing of roles and close cooperation between the chief cabinet secretary and the different ministers are important and noted, “For the new administration, compilation of the fiscal 2010 budget will be the first crucial task.” The Nikkei expressed hope for the elimination of wasteful spending and bold revision of rigid budget distribution, but also mentioned the possibility that the administration’s new policies requiring 7.1 trillion yen might necessitate the issue of government bonds. It called for flexible and speedy budget compilation that takes account of economic trends. With regard to the realization of policymaking led by politicians and the integration of decision making under the cabinet, The Nikkei noted the importance of ministers’ abilities and elimination of the dual-power structure between cabinet and party. The Nikkei also expressed concern about ties with the United States and called for the maintenance of a sound Japan-US allied alliance.
The Sankei Shimbun editorial positively evaluated the new cabinet, saying that “We can sense the determination to meet the challenge of changing the flow of politics with all its energy.” It said that the new administration “is expected to plunge the scalpel into the bloated bureaucratic structure and wasteful spending” and that firm resolve to find solutions to these issues in particular and turn them into policies is important. Regarding foreign and security policies, however, considering the coalition with the Social Democratic Party and other factors, the Sankei expressed concern as to whether a pragmatic and active response could be produced. It called on the prime minister himself to display leadership and initiative in order to achieve a pragmatic course and urged a reconsideration of the decision to terminate the refueling operations in the Indian Ocean. In addition, the Sankei called for early compilation of the fiscal 2010 budget draft and noted the lack of transparency in the new government’s financial sources for its policies and the weakness of its recognition of the importance of economic recovery and growth strategy.
(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center, Japan)
*Japan Brief is an original production of the Foreign Press Center, Japan, and does not represent the views of the Government of Japan or of any other body.
⇒Member Profiles of the Hatoyama Cabinet (inaugurated on September 16, 2009)
<Related Articles>
-DPJ, SDP, and PNP Agree to Establish Coalition Government（2009-09-16）
-DPJ Set to Form Government Following 45th General Election（2009-09-01）
-Campaigning Begins for the 45th House of Representatives Election（2009-08-20）
-LDP Unveils Party Manifesto for General Election（2009-08-04）
-DPJ Announces Manifesto for Upcoming General Election（2009-07-29）
-House of Representatives Dissolved; General Election to Be Held on August 30（2009-07-23）
|
|
|
|
