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Change Your Life! |
Japan:
The latest country to try political dynasty |
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June 26, 2000
TOKYO (AP) - The daughter of late former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi won her father's seat Parliament in Sunday's general election, demonstrating the enduring mystique of political dynasties among Japan's electorate.
Yuko Obuchi, 26, cruised to victory over three rivals, including former Socialist Party secretary general Tsuruo Yamaguchi. She dedicated her victory to her father, whose birthday fell on the day of the election.
"This victory is the best birthday present for my father," Obuchi told supporters in her victory speech. "I will strive hard every day to become a full-fledged politician."
Former Prime Minister Obuchi suffered a stroke in April, and was replaced by protege Yoshiro Mori. Obuchi died on May 14 at age 62.
Like his daughter, the late premier was also first elected to Parliament when he was 26 to fill a seat left by the death of his father.
Yuko Obuchi had been expected to easily win her father's seat in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, ever since she announced she was in the running shortly after her father died.
Japan has a long tradition of voting for relatives of politicians to fill Parliamentary seats left vacant by retirement or death.
Nearly one-third of the legislators in the more powerful lower house of Parliament were born into political families, and those include some of the country's most prominent legislators.
The relatives of other ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweights who died recently won a seat in Sunday's polls.
Wataru Takeshita, the younger brother of late former premier Noboru Takeshita, who died days before the election, won in an electoral district in Shimane Prefecture, in western Japan.
Hiroshi Kajiyama, the son of former Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama who died this month, also clinched a seat in Japan's eastern Ibaraki Prefecture.
The elder Takeshita, a longtime kingmaker in Japanese politics, had been known as a main architect of the special interest politics that has helped keep the LDP in power for most of the years since 1955.
His younger brother quickly made an election victory pledge to bring home pork-barrel projects.
"I would like to continue my brother's struggle to build up our home country," said the 53-year-old Takeshita.
But he also vowed a break from the ruling party's behind-the-scenes decision making, of which his brother had been the LDP's master practitioner.
"I would like to move away from managed politics to more dialogue with and emphasis on persuading the people," he said. Hiroshi Kajiyama also promised change. "I would like to bring in new views to break the current impasse in Japanese politics," said Kajiyama, 44.
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