[eve]

Land of the rising sons

Children of Japanese politicians are running for parliament under the brand name of their fathers

By Kwan Weng Kin


DPJ's Naoto Kan and his son Gentaro are both election candidates. -- / Mr Shintaro Ishihara's social ties are a boost to son Hirotaka's bid. -- REUTERS

TEARS of joy welled up in the eyes of Governor Shintaro Ishihara when he spoke at the opening of his third son's campaign office at Tokyo's Shinagawa ward last month.

'Speaking as his parent, I leave my son in your good hands,' he told campaign supporters.

His son Hirotaka Ishihara is among the 150 second- and third-generation politicians standing for today's election, 75 per cent of them under the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) banner.

A former bank officer, 39-year-old Hirotaka is running in the district where his father - a former Lower House member - had been elected eight times.

Thanks to his father's connections, he has received testimonials of support from musicians to sportsmen and, of course, actors, as his late uncle Yujiro was one of Japan's biggest stars.

The decision to run for parliament was his own, he said.

But that is what most of them say anyway, those who run under the brand name of their fathers.

Not so, however, for Ms Yuko Obuchi, 29, who in 2000 reluctantly found herself running for parliament when her premier-father Keizo Obuchi died suddenly.

Despite an unmemorable three years in the Lower House, she is running again, perhaps out of an obligation to her family and her father's supporters, who have taken it upon themselves to see that she retains the seat which had belonged to him.

It is not just second-generation politicians who have it easy because of the ground work laid down by their fathers.

Their supporters prefer to serve the son or daughter of a politician rather than an unknown candidate, as they need not start from scratch.

Out of 480 seats up for grabs today, about a quarter were filled by second- or even third-generation politicians.

They include Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, whose father was defence minister, LDP secretary-general Shinzo Abe, whose grandfather was prime minister, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, whose father was also prime minister.

And almost all of this year's second- and third-generation candidates are running in the same constituencies as did their parents.

One exception is Mr Gentaro Kan, 30, whose father Naoto heads the opposition Democratic Party of Japan and is an aspirant to the premiership.

While the elder Kan is standing in a Tokyo ward, Mr Gentaro is running in Okayama, his grandfather's birthplace.

Having too many second- or third-generation politicians within its ranks is not necessarily a good thing for the LDP, political experts warn.

Promising young people unable to get in will join other political parties, adding to their talent pool. And the LDP will end up the loser.


Source : http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4386,218993,00.html

[Michael_Voyageur]

Oui, tres bon choix cet article.

En effet il semble que le metier de politicien soit un metier qui se "transmet" de pere en fils au Japon...
Je ne sais pas si c'est tres bon pour la democratie.

D'autre part il ne faut pas oublier non plus que de nombreux politiciens exercent jusqu'a un age tres avance, et meme lorsqu'ils se "retirent" officiellement certain continuent a plonger dans les affaire pour garder un peu de pouvoir.

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Michael_Voyageur

Live as if you were to die tomorrow
Learn as if you were to live forever...

[Den]

Effectivement...

Les Japonais ont-ils jamais quitté l'époque féodale...

Les hommes politiques semblent des seigneurs dans leur fief...
_________________
疾如風徐如林侵掠如火不動如山
Rapide, tel le vent / Calme, tels les bois / Impétueux, tel le feu / Inébranlable, telle la montagne

[Michael_Voyageur]

Autre chose qu'on pourrait signaler dans le meme sujet,
cela a l'air hors-sujet de prime abord, mais si on y regarde de plus pres on peut s'apercevoir que c'est pourtant un fait tres lié, qui participe de facon integrante du meme phenomene...

Je veux parler des relations indissociables entre les politiciens, les entreprises et la presse !!!

Bien sur c'est aussi le cas dans d'autres pays, mais pour avoir moi meme frequenté ces milieux (gouverneurs, députés, etc) je peux dire d'experience vécue que pratiquement aucun de ces politiciens (au moins ceux que j'ai cotoyé) sont reellement independant, leur campagnes sont financées par les grosses entreprises, et des qu'ils parviennent a un poste de pouvoir ils renvoient l'ascenseur en attribuant des passe-droit a ces entreprises (autorisation diverses). On pourait appeler ca du "clientelisme" ou tout simplement des magouilles...

D'autre part la presse est tres loin d'etre independante et ne denonce pas toujours ces trafics de pouvoir puisqu'elle est organises en 記者クラブ (kisha-kurabu) ou "clubs de journalistes" qui sont a la solde des gouvernements et politiciens.
Les bons journalistes se doivent de faire partie de ces "clubs de journalistes" afin d'avoir acces aux scoops et informations fiables, sinon ils sont juges comme indignes et ne recoivent aucune info de la part de "sources autorisees" .
Pour faire partie du club il faut evidement montrer qu'on en est "digne" par son conformisme , c'est a dire qu'on presente l'information de facon a proteger/soutenir (ne pas porter atteinte ou critiquer) les sources en questions et ne pas "jeter de paves dans la mare"...

A quand des journaux comme "le canard enchaine" au Japon ? Et de facon plus generale ... A quand une veritable democratie ? (c'est dire la representation des interets des CITOYENS et non pas des oligarques) ...

_________________
Michael_Voyageur

Live as if you were to die tomorrow
Learn as if you were to live forever...