Japanese House of Councillors election, 2001
The Sangiin - election 2001, formally the "19 regular election of Sangiinabgeordneten " (Japanese第19回 参议院 议员 通常 选 挙, dai - jūkyū -kai Sangiin Giin tsūjō Senkyo ), the Japanese councils House ( Sangiin ), the House of Lords ( join) of the National Parliament ( Kokkai ) took place on 29 July place in 2001. Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichirô had replaced the controversial Yoshirō Mori in April and presented his reform agenda, which had initially triggered a positive " Koizumi effect" on the stock and currency markets. Since some reform projects such as the postal privatization, deregulation of the financial market and the capping of the new issue of government bonds, especially within the LDP were controversial, was a victory of crucial importance for their realization. Because of its great popularity among the people - he sometimes had approval ratings of 80 % - Koizumi has also set up a committee in June, which should consider the introduction of direct election of the prime minister, another initiative that was within the party disputed because it which the traditional method offices award and the balance of the LDP factions would have endangered.
The reforms Koizumi were given the difficult economic situation, the main theme of the campaign: While Koizumi mainly wanted off critics in his own party, the opposition tried under the leadership of the three party leaders Yukio Hatoyama (DPJ ), Ichiro Ozawa (Liberal Party) and Takako Doi (SDP ) voters to win in that they claimed genuine reforms are only possible if Japan had another ruling party. The three parties worked together in the opposition and also to some extent shared a common election strategy with common candidates in the constituencies.
2000, the electoral law was changed to Sangiin: The number of deputies was reduced by five ( two in the proportional representation and to each one in Okayama, Kumamoto and Kagoshima ) and the proportional representation has been changed so that voters can also specify a single candidate and thus can influence the elected candidate list (similar to the preferential vote in Austria ). The system is called in Japan Hiko sokumei boshiki ( hireidaihyōsei ) (Japanese非 拘束 名簿 式(例 代表 制), dt ' ( proportional representation ) with unlimited lists of names "). The turnout was 56.44 % for the direct election and 56.42 % ( Abroad: 29.94 %) in the proportional representation.
(*) Meeting of the Independent, Dainiin Club, Liberal League, Ishin Seito Shimpū ( "Restoration Party New style " ), Women's Party, New Socialist Party, New Party of freedom and hope
Effects
The LDP Prime Minister Koizumi exceeded expectations and won the absolute majority of standing for election seats. Due to the defeat in the election of 1998, she was indeed further angewisesen on the coalition partners Kōmeitō and Conservative Party; But Koizumi was strengthened in the upcoming September elections the LDP party presidency. The opposition had no remedy for the popularity of Koizumi found and only became a new strategy, as it starting in 2002 with the return of the DPJ Chairman Naoto Kan won an equally popular figurehead and new scandals and unpopular foreign missions of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in the wake of the attacks September 11, 2001, her new attack surfaces offered.