Japan finance minister warns of opposition landslide

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-25 16:22

TOKYO: Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, his ruling bloc facing likely defeat in an election less than a week away, sought to lure back voters with a warning on Tuesday that a big opposition win risked creating one-party "despotism".

In the latest survey to forecast a ruling bloc loss, the Sankei newspaper said the opposition Democratic Party was expected to win 300 seats in parliament's powerful 480-seat lower house, ending more than 50 years of almost unbroken rule by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

That was in line with other media forecasts, though analysts have cautioned that an opposition win may be less overwhelming.

The Nikkei business daily said an LDP internal survey last week had shown the Democrats winning just under 260 seats while the LDP would get around 160 from Sunday's election.

"The situation is tough. The angry waves of the Democratic Party are attacking all over Tokyo," said Yosano, who himself faces a fight to hold onto his constituency in the capital.

"If this momentum continues, there is a risk of one-party despotism," he told a news conference.

An opposition win of the magnitude forecast would be almost the mirror image of the results of the last general election in 2005, when charismatic leader Junichiro Koizumi led the LDP to a huge victory with promises of market-friendly reforms.

Since then, Japan has had three more prime ministers and support for the ruling party has sagged due to scandals, policy flip-flops and a perception that the party has failed to address the deep-seated problems of a shrinking, fast-ageing population.

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