As it has become certain that an Upper House election, which will decide the nation's political direction, will be held July 22 unless the regular Diet session is extended, political parties have started serious preparations. While the opposition Democratic Party of Japan's leader Ichiro Ozawa is busy consolidating the support of various interest groups, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces the difficult task of selecting candidates who can win.
Mr. Abe had a bitter experience in the 2004 Upper House election. By the time he became secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party -- ahead of the election -- most of the candidates had been selected by the previous party leadership. The LDP did not fare well and Mr. Abe was demoted to acting secretary general.
Mr. Abe's determination that he and other party leaders will take the initiative this time in choosing candidates, however, is likely to face resistance from within the party, especially from the LDP Upper House caucus. In the coming Upper House election, the number of successful candidates chosen from electoral districts (as opposed to those picked through the proportional representation system) will affect the overall election results.