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Article: Koizumi's last days; Japan.(The prime minister is down; the opposition is out)(Junichiro Koizumi)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- March 25, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Pain for the prime minister, but no gain for the opposition
NOT long ago the authority of Junichiro Koizumi, Japan's prime minister, looked unassailable. He had risked all on a general election last September to gain backing for his programme of deregulation and a smaller state, and seen his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) romp home with a two-thirds majority. Not only had Mr Koizumi trounced the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), he had also destroyed much of the conservative opposition within his own party.
But Mr Koizumi's ability to exploit his triumph has been dwindling rapidly this year. Part of the prime minister's entertainment ...