Postoffice issues ...

And I’m back with another bit on Japanese politics.
I’m preparing for two discussions that I am going to this week and next about the planned privatization of the postoffices. Now, this doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but some are warning that PM Koizumi is ahead of himself on this one. A big issue. Pretty much The Issue on reform for Koizumi and he wants to push it through no matter what.
Well, I’m not too clear on a lot of things of his plans, so if any one who’s reading this can help out?

A few excerpts for the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shinbun:
“’This meeting is not about protesting the postal privatization plan,’ Tamisuke Watanuki, an LDP lawmaker known for his anti-privatization stand, said. ‘Rather, I am deeply concerned about parliamentary democracy being put at risk.’”[11/02/05]
A quote about a meeting that Koizumi had last week with anti-privatization politicians within his own party. I’m slightly puzzled about the phrase ‘parliamentary democracy at risk’. Is that what it is called if something isn’t going the way that the majority of the LDP wants it to go? The LDP fears for an opportunity for the opposition:
“An all-out battle between the government and the LDP over the postal plan could give the main opposition party room to attack during the current Diet session.” [11/02/05]
Coalition and opposition party confrontation isn’t immediately a threat to democracy though? Isn’t that the whole idea of democracy?? Sounds a bit akward, I think…
This might clarify a bit: “Allowing Koizumi to push through his postal privatization initiative despite his arrogant disregard for the Diet would seriously undermine the health of the nation's democracy, which, like any democratic system, is founded on the people's trust.” [25/01/05]
I still don’t quite see it…. The Diet obviously needs to approve the proposal. If the majority of the Diet approves, then doesn’t this mean that the population agrees? Parties and Diet members should be voting according to their constituency. It doesn’t help the opposition to vote for the proposal just to annoy the LDP, as it would support Koizumi who is also LDP. No gain in that strategy.

Anyhow, a bit earlier the same newspaper reported the following about trouble within the LDP:
“But resistance forces within his Liberal Democratic Party are up in arms as the party's traditional support base outside Tokyo has always relied heavily on the postal sector.” [25/01/05]
Eh? The postal sector is an important support base for the LDP? I knew about the rural areas and farming sectors and a couple of others but where does the postal sector come in? Does it have that many employees that it can put so much weight on policy? Is it the money involved – insurance funds etc? That doesn’t make sense, as that would put influence within the ministry; not the constituencies.

And, finally and not surprisingly, this seems to be one of the most important reasons for pushing the proposal:
“Still, Koizumi wants some agreement on postal privatization before his term expires, mainly because there are few other issues where any progress seems likely soon. The dead-end is especially noticeable in foreign affairs, with no end in sight to Japan's disputes with North Korea and Russia.” [18/01/05]
Jun-chan will have to accomplish [i]something[/i] by the time he retires. The privatization of the highway companies has been critized of being too much of a compromise on the side of the Cabinet. The North Korea situation is at a dead-lock, and currently deteriorating. The Northern Territories issue has again come to a standstill despite some earlier hopes of progress – it doesn’t seem that much is going all that well for him ...

IHT/AS 11/02/2005
IHT/AS 26/01/2005
IHT/AS 18/01/2005
NikkeiNet特集郵政民営化

{it’s late-ish, so I might have been incomplete here and there…. Will fix it later if that’s the case! Let me know if you have any insights on this issue!}

EDIT@25/02
A few more links that I came across:
NikkeiNet Editorial (subscription only, unfortunately)
WhitePeril blog-entry on Postal Reform

Also, of course this issue brings along a lot of other topics in Japanese politics - LDP support base/constituencies, ministerial competition (MoF vs Ministry of Post), US vs Japan trade issues and so on. More to come!