2003 Lower
House Election and Two-Party System
The lower house elections in November 2003 marked the start
of a new phase in Japanese politics. Japanese voters gave the
ruling Liberal Democratic Party(*1), led by Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi, a new mandate, but also allowed the opposition Democratic
Party of Japan(*2), which merged with the Liberal Party in September
2003, to increase its strength in the House of Representatives
sharply, pushing the nation closer to a two-party system.
The LDP-led ruling coalition maintained a comfortable majority
in the lower house, but the biggest winner was the DPJ, which
captured 40 new seats to become the largest opposition party
in postwar Japan. All the smaller parties except New Komeito(*3),
the coalition partner of the LDP, suffered devastating defeats,
getting pushed further into the margins. The election was seen
as a time to choose between the LDP and the DPJ amid a rapidly
growing trend toward bipartisanship. It was also marked by unusually
strong voter interest in the parties' campaign promises, which
were officially announced as "manifestos" for the
first time. More than ever before, the campaign concentrated
on policy debate over such key issues as pension reform and
the proposed privatization of the Japan Highway Public Corporation.
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1955 Setup
For most of the postwar period, the LDP
and the Japan Socialist Party have dominated Japan's political
setup. Both parties were formed in 1955, the former by a consolidation
of democratic and conservative factions; the latter by consolidation
of leftist and rightist factions of socialists. This "1955
setup" continued until 1993. The basic theme of the 1955
setup was the ideological conflict between two major parties
with very different world views—a conflict paralleling
international affairs in an era when the world was divided
into capitalist and socialist camps. The two parties maintained
the appearance of fierce rivalry to the end, but in reality
the LDP held the upper hand throughout this period owing to
its majority in both houses of the Diet. Under the LDP rule,
Japan was able to achieve rapid economic growth thanks, among
other things, to the security guaranteed by the Japan-US Security
Treaty. Moreover, the LDP implemented many of the social reforms
advocated by the socialist opposition. As a result, a majority
of voters saw little need for a change of government.
LDP Rule Overturned
It was in 1993 that Japan underwent a major
change in its political landscape. The general election held
in July 1993 following lower house dissolution was fought
over two issues: political reform and the establishment of
an anti-LDP administration. While the LDP finished with the
most seats, it fell short of a majority. Eight parties then
joined forces in a non-LDP coalition led by Morihiro Hosokawa
of the Japan New Party. The LDP was forced to hand over the
reins of government for the first time in 38 years, thus closing
the curtain on the "1955 setup."
The LDP, however, returned to power in June 1994 by forming
a three-party coalition with the Social Democratic Party (the
new name of the JSP), and Sakigake, with Tomiichi Murayama
of the SDP as prime minister. To qualify itself for the position
of ruling party, the SDP had to abandon its longtime opposition
to the Japan-US Security Treaty and the role of the Self-Defense
Forces.
The LDP's Ryutaro Hashimoto succeeded Murayama as leader of
the LDP-SDP-Sakigake coalition government in January 1996.
But after the October 1996 general election, the support of
the SDP and Sakigake was no longer essential to the LDP, which
successfully increased the number of seats in the lower house.
While continuing to cooperate within the Diet, they ceased
to play a direct role in the cabinet, leaving the LDP once
again in sole control of the government after a three-year
hiatus.
Birth of Koizumi Cabinet
Hashimoto, who was under severe public
criticism for economic mismanagement, resigned after the July
1998 upper house election, in which the LDP fell far short
of a majority and was succeeded by Keizo Obuchi. The Obuchi
Administration set a new policy course with the goal of placing
the economy back on track. To enhance government stability,
Obuchi chose to form a coalition with the Liberal Party, while
managing to gain cooperation from the Komeito in the conducting
of policy-making through Diet business. The Komeito officially
joined the government in July 1999, giving the LDP-Liberal
Party-Komeito coalition a majority of more than 70% in the
lower house and a majority in the upper house.
In April 2000, the Liberal Party withdrew from the coalition,
immediately after Obuchi suffered a stroke. The party split
up, with more than half its members leaving to form the New
Conservative Party and remain in the ruling alliance. A new
coalition government headed by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori
was thus launched among the LDP, the Komeito, and the 26-member
New Conservative Party. Because of his frequent gaffes and
other factors, however, Mori's support rate plummeted, resulting
in his resignation in March 2001.
Having suffered fierce criticism about the choice of Mori
as party president behind closed doors by just a few party
leaders, the LDP decided to choose the next party leader through
voting by party members and LDP Diet members. On the back
of overwhelming support from general party members, Junichiro
Koizumi defeated former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and
other candidates in the election. In April 2001, Koizumi was
designated by the Diet as Japan's eighty-seventh prime minister.
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