Koizumi Re-Elected Japan Prime Minister

[Freddie Stubbs]

TOKYO - In a post-election formality, Junichiro Koizumi won approval from Parliament Wednesday to stay on as Japan's prime minister. But he faces a reinvigorated opposition vowing to grill him on his increasingly unpopular plan to send troops to Iraq (news - web sites) and efforts to rekindle the world's second-largest economy.

Koizumi, whose ruling coalition controls a majority in both chambers of Parliament, was re-elected in both houses by a comfortable margin. The votes were held in a special session called to select new leaders following nationwide elections earlier this month to fill the 480 seats in the body's lower house.

Koizumi, who has vowed to carry out his plans to privatize government agencies and other economic reforms, was expected to retain all of his 17-member Cabinet. The Cabinet resigned en masse earlier in the day, paving the way for the election.

Despite the ease of Wednesday's formalities, Koizumi faces a rough ride over the nine days his coalition has planned for Parliament's special session.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031119/ap_on_re_as/japan_politics_031119034532

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Yeah, he'll get "grilled"

but in the end, he'll get his way, just like all the other right-wing leaders do.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. As long as the electoral districts are

gerrymandered to favor rural voters, the LDP will get its way.

(Actually, rather than gerrymandering, it's more accurate to say that they have not been redistricted to reflect the population shift from rural to urban areas.)

[Art_from_Ark]

3. Interesting that in the proportional districts,

where voters chose a party instead of a person, the Democratic Party ended up virtually tied with the LDP.