Digest
After coalition government became a reality in Japan in 1993, the
influence of small parties on government policy has increased. It is especially
important to note the influence exerted by small parties on the decisions
and power plays of current Liberal-Democratic / Social-Democratic / Sakigake
Party coalition government. When we note the influence of small parties,
we should remember that their influence is not only measured in terms of
the number of assembly seats they could potentiallyadd to the large number
of seats held by the Liberal-Democratic Party. The influence of small parties
is further felt in the way that they attract voters who are voicing dissatisfaction
with or distrust of the current leading political parties. Today's small
political parties, Democratic Party , Social-Democratic Party , Sun Party
,New Party Sakigake , are able to have such a political function, but has
not been able to achieve dramatic results. As a result, Japan Communist
Party has recently gained some support among voters. It is not that voters
are attracted to the basic principles of Communism --not at all. It is just
that, in the face of the vague and vacillating posturing of the current
leading parties, some voters are being attracted by the vigorously voiciferous
complaints expressed by the Japan Communist Party. |