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Japanese Prime Minister's Coalition Suffers Blow as Small Party Quits Over US Base Deal

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Japan's coalition government led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has suffered a significant blow as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) resigned from the governing coalition in protest over his handling of the controversial US air base on the island of Okinawa. The move, announced on Sunday, comes as a new poll shows that over half of Japanese voters want Hatoyama to resign due to his failure to keep his promise to move the base off Okinawa. The prime minister's popularity has been plummeting since his party came to power last year, and the SDP's departure has raised concerns about his government's stability ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Social Democratic Party, a key member of Japan's governing coalition, has resigned in protest over Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's decision to keep the US air base on Okinawa despite his pre-election promise to move it.
  • The party's leader, Mizuho Fukushima, was dismissed as minister of consumer affairs and gender equality after she refused to accept a US-Japan agreement to relocate the base to a more remote part of Okinawa.
  • A new poll by Japan's Kyodo news agency showed that over half of Japanese voters want Hatoyama to resign, with 507 (49.2%) of 1,033 respondents calling for his resignation.
  • The SDP's departure will not immediately topple Hatoyama's government, as his Democratic Party holds a majority of seats in the powerful Lower House of Parliament.
  • However, the move is damaging for Hatoyama ahead of the July 11 parliamentary elections, which could decide his political future.
  • The prime minister's popularity has been eroding since his party came to power last year, and the US base controversy has been a major source of concern for many Japanese voters.
  • The Futenma US Marine Air Station has been a contentious issue between Japan and the US, with many Okinawans opposing the base due to noise, crime, and environmental concerns.

Statistics:

  • 507 (49.2%) of 1,033 voters in a new poll by Japan's Kyodo news agency want Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to resign.
  • 51% of Japanese voters are dissatisfied with Hatoyama's performance, according to the same poll.
  • Japan's Social Democratic Party has 21 members of the Lower House of Parliament.
  • Prime Minister Hatoyama's Democratic Party holds 416 seats in the Lower House, a majority of the 480-seat chamber.
  • July 11 is the date of the upcoming parliamentary elections that could decide Hatoyama's political future.

Sources:

  • "Japan's Social Democrats Quit Coalition Over US Base Deal," The New York Times, June 21, 2009.
  • "Poll: Half of Japanese Want Hatoyama to Resign," Kyodo news agency, June 21, 2009.

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