Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Abe to be next Japanese PM


This is no way to run a modern democracy. That a politician can be crowned because his father was almost PM and his grandfather was on in the past is called a monarchy and Japan already has one of those.

I wonder when Japan will get democracy.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Shinzo Abe, a 51-year-old conservative, easily won an election by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the party announced today.

Mr Abe won an overwhelming majority of 464 of the 703 votes by the party.

"From the bottom of my heart, I want to offer congratulations to Mr Shinzo Abe," Mr Koizumi, Japan's longest-serving premier in three decades, told lawmakers after the vote to replace him.

"Together with you, I would like to support new president Abe," Mr Koizumi said, referring to Mr Abe's presidency of the party.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso, a fellow conservative, came a distant second at 136 votes.

Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, who had cast himself as a dove who can repair sour ties with China, trailed at 102 votes.

See full Article.