People's New Party
Encyclopedia
The People's New Party (国民新党 Kokumin Shintō) is a centre-right
, Conservative, Japanese
political party formed on 17 August 2005 in the aftermath of the defeat of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
's Japan Post
privatisation bills which led to a snap election
.
, includes former lower house speaker Tamisuke Watanuki
, former LDP lower house members Hisaoki Kamei
, Tadahiro Matsushita
, and House of Councillors
members Kensei Hasegawa
from the LDP and Tamura Hideaki from the Democratic Party of Japan
, the main opposition.
Most of the members of the Kokumin Shinto were formerly members of the Shisuikai (also known as Kamei Faction) of the LDP
. Their strong links to the postal lobby forced them to go against Koizumi's plans to privatise the postal system. While Watanuki was made party leader, Kamei was also seen as a public face for the party.
The party was initially almost exclusively defined by its opposition to Koizumi's politics as expressed in the post privatisation debate. Eventually their platform was broadened to include ideals of serving and protecting the people, and engaging in "warm, friendly politics".
In the 2005 snap election, the party was able to retain four seats, matching the pre-election total, with two single-seat members (Watanuki and Shizuka Kamei) and two proportional members (Hisaoki Kamei and new member Masaki Itokawa). However, the overwhelming victory of the LDP, with a new two-thirds majority in the lower house, made it unlikely that they would be able to exert influence on government policy.
In June 2007, party head Shizuka Kamei announced that Alberto Fujimori
would be running for a seat in the House of Councillors
under the banner of the People's New Party. At the time of the initial announcement, Fujimori was under house arrest in Chile
pending the outcome of an extradition hearing to decide whether he would be returned to Peru
to face charges of corruption and human rights violations there. On 11 July 2007 Chilean Judge Orlando Alvarez ruled against the extradition; however, Fujimori remained under house arrest, and was unable to return to Japan for his campaign. He would ultimately fail in his bid.
After the Japanese general election, 2009
, on 16 September 2009, a new government was formed; the PNP became a part of the ruling coalition led by the Democratic Party of Japan
.
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
, Conservative, Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
political party formed on 17 August 2005 in the aftermath of the defeat of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
's Japan Post
Japan Post
was a government-owned corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation's largest employer. One third of all Japanese...
privatisation bills which led to a snap election
Japan general election, 2005
A general election in Japan was held on 11 September 2005 for all 480 seats of the House of Representatives of Japan, the lower house of the Diet of Japan, almost two years before the end of the term taken from the last election in 2003...
.
History
The Kokumin Shinto, headed by Shizuka KameiShizuka Kamei
is a Japanese politician.-Early life:He was born in the city of Shōbara in Hiroshima Prefecture into a poor family. He studied at the department of economics at University of Tokyo and worked his way through school through various jobs, including singing at a cabaret.Upon graduation in 1960, he...
, includes former lower house speaker Tamisuke Watanuki
Tamisuke Watanuki
Tamisuke Watanuki is a Japanese politician from the Toyama Prefecture. He started his own export-import company at age 28....
, former LDP lower house members Hisaoki Kamei
Hisaoki Kamei
is a Japanese politician of People's New Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Kanoashi District, Shimane and graduate of Gakushuin University, he ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 1971 as an independent...
, Tadahiro Matsushita
Tadahiro Matsushita
is a Japanese politician and five-time member of the House of Representatives of Japan. He has been involved in government since 1962 when he joined the Ministry of Construction. He is currently the Senior Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry....
, and House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
members Kensei Hasegawa
Kensei Hasegawa
is a Japanese politician of the People's New Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Kumagaya, Saitama and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he worked at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications from 1967 to 2003. He was elected for the first time in 2004.-...
from the LDP and Tamura Hideaki from the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
, the main opposition.
Most of the members of the Kokumin Shinto were formerly members of the Shisuikai (also known as Kamei Faction) of the LDP
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
. Their strong links to the postal lobby forced them to go against Koizumi's plans to privatise the postal system. While Watanuki was made party leader, Kamei was also seen as a public face for the party.
The party was initially almost exclusively defined by its opposition to Koizumi's politics as expressed in the post privatisation debate. Eventually their platform was broadened to include ideals of serving and protecting the people, and engaging in "warm, friendly politics".
In the 2005 snap election, the party was able to retain four seats, matching the pre-election total, with two single-seat members (Watanuki and Shizuka Kamei) and two proportional members (Hisaoki Kamei and new member Masaki Itokawa). However, the overwhelming victory of the LDP, with a new two-thirds majority in the lower house, made it unlikely that they would be able to exert influence on government policy.
In June 2007, party head Shizuka Kamei announced that Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
would be running for a seat in the House of Councillors
House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives...
under the banner of the People's New Party. At the time of the initial announcement, Fujimori was under house arrest in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
pending the outcome of an extradition hearing to decide whether he would be returned to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to face charges of corruption and human rights violations there. On 11 July 2007 Chilean Judge Orlando Alvarez ruled against the extradition; however, Fujimori remained under house arrest, and was unable to return to Japan for his campaign. He would ultimately fail in his bid.
After the Japanese general election, 2009
Japanese general election, 2009
A general election in Japan was held on August 30, 2009, for all 480 seats of the House of Representatives of Japan, the lower house of the Diet of Japan....
, on 16 September 2009, a new government was formed; the PNP became a part of the ruling coalition led by the Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
.