日本財団 図書館


In fact, only two prime ministers have resigned as a result of losing a Lower House election, Prime Minister Miki and Prime Minister Miyazawa.

Mostly, a change of prime minister occurred in Liberal Democratic Party leadership elections. In other words, in Japanese politics, Liberal Democratic leadership elections were more important than Lower House elections, and factional dynamics within the Liberal Democratic Party were more important than confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition.

Recently, however, this trend is changing. Hashimoto was elected leader in the Liberal Democratic leadership election in 1995 because he was expected to be popular among conservatives in the confrontation with the powerful opposition Progressive Party in the next general election. And, in fact, in the 1996 general election Hashimoto's Liberal Democratic Party beat Ozawa's Progressive Party. As a result, Hashimoto was reelected party leader without difficulty in the 1997 leadership election.

Obuchi was chosen as party leader to weather the financial crisis in the wake of the rout of the Liberal Democratic Party in the Upper House elections in July 1998. Prime Minister Obuchi attempted a number of unique innovations, including using his unique style and personal connections to appoint former prime minister Miyazawa as Finance Minister, Hiromu Nonaka as Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Taichi Sakaiya as Director of the Economic Planning Agency. He also organized economic strategy meetings. Having weathered the crisis to somehow or other, naturally Prime Minister Obuchi was able to pull through the leadership election in September 1999 without difficulty.

In actual fact, however, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party is rarely reelected. After the emergence of Tanaka as Party Leader in 1972 until Obuchi, there were 13 Liberal Democratic Party Leaders, but only three, Nakasone, Hashimoto and Obuchi, were reelected one or more times.

 

 

 

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