Sunday, December 16, 2012

Concern about general election

Today general election of lower house was performed in Japan.

Now adding up of the vote is carrying out. According to NHK, national broadcasting, the result will be the one-sided victory of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). LDP is doubling the number of seats and ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lost many seats. Japan Restoration Party won seats to some degree but it is not amazing.

This result was predicted by several mass media. So I am not surprised. What is surprising is the low vote rate. According to Asahi Shinbun, the vote rate will be less than 60%, it is the minimum in history of Japan after WWII.
We have many arguments around this election. Nuclear power plant, consumption tax, Trans-pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP), diplomacy, and so on. Basic polities of major parties differ from each other. Compared to past election, it must be easy to vote for one party which is suitable to our own interest. I feel that political discussion has rose in internet forums actively.
However vote rate is low.

Vote rate tend to decrease in winter. The weather is not so good in some region.
But maybe the biggest reason of low vote rate is the boring of citizens for national politics.

In 2009, long lasting (over 50 years!) ruling of LDP had ended by general election. DPJ tried to change the structure of policy-making system, replaced LDP. But they failed. Indeed some reforms are accomplished; nonetheless, most citizens were critical to DPJ.
I guess not a few people abandon his own power to change Japan through voting. It is very sorry.
Vote rate itself is not essential matter, as I wrote in the past. If concern about politics of the people is decreasing, it is a serious problem.


*sequel

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