JAPAN: The hawkish ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to return to power, prescribing radical monetary easing for the economy and likely to stay pro-nuclear despite the Fukushima crisis

Record ID: 466779

  • Title: JAPAN: The hawkish ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to return to power, prescribing radical monetary easing for the economy and likely to stay pro-nuclear despite the Fukushima crisis
  • Date: 16th December 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 16, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION PEOPLE WALKING INTO POLLING STATION WOMAN PLACING BALLOT PAPER IN BALLOT BOX PEOPLE VOTING IN POLLING STATION WOMAN PLACING BALLOT PAPER IN BALLOT BOX POLLING STATION STAFF OBSERVING VOTING MORE OF PEOPLE VOTING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARKING BALLOT PAPERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PUTTING BALLOT PAPERS IN BALLOT BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 42-YEAR-OLD COMPANY EMPLOYEE WHO VOTED FOR JAPAN RESTORATION PARTY AND PREVIOUSLY VOTED FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN (DPJ) IN 2009 ELECTION, MR KITAMURA (FIRST NAME UNKNOWN), SAYING: "I think the entire Japanese political system should be changed, so I voted for the Japan Restoration Party. I reckon they can do it." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 23-YEAR-OLD COMPANY EMPLOYEE WHO VOTED FOR "YOUR PARTY" AND WHO VOTED FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN (DPJ) IN 2009 ELECTION, SHINO ASO, SAYING: "There's always been this two party system between the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party, it hasn't changed for ages. But I've got to think about how I'll make a living in the future, so I want to try something different." POLLING STATION OFFICER CLOSING POLLING STATION VARIOUS OF POLLING STATION OFFICERS SEALING BALLOT BOXES POLLING STATION OFFICERS CARRYING BOXES TO COUNT STATION POLLING STATION OFFICER TIDYING AWAY PAPER
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8AOE0XAEXCRKGGA66OS3GTW71
  • Story Text: Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) surged back to power in an election on Sunday (December 16) just three years after a devastating defeat, giving ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a chance to push his hawkish security agenda and radical economic recipe.
    An LDP win will usher in a government committed to a tough stance in a territorial row with China, a pro-nuclear energy policy despite last year's Fukushima disaster and a potentially risky prescription for hyper-easy monetary policy and big fiscal spending to beat deflation and tame a strong yen.
    Exit polls by television broadcasters showed the LDP winning nearly 300 seats in parliament's powerful 480-member lower house, while its ally, the small New Komeito party, looked set to win about 30 seats.

    "Voters have decided they want a party that governed this country for decades to govern again," said NHK anchor Yuko Aotani.

    "Some strong numbers we're seeing for the opposition party, the main opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party. Top number at 310 and the bottom number 275, above that magic number we've been talking about to get the majority in the lower house at 241," said another NHK Newsline anchor.
    Exit polls showed Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) winning only 65 seats, just over a fifth of its tally in 2009.
    The DPJ, which swept to power in 2009 promising to pay more heed to consumers than companies and reduce bureaucrats' control over policymaking, was hit by defections just before the vote.
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