Tag - politics

 
 

POLITICS

EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014
Lower House electoral reform
A panel of experts has begun discussions on addressing Lower House electoral reforms, particularly the vote-value disparity between rural and urban districts, after talks among the ruling and opposition parties failed.
EDITORIALS
Sep 24, 2014
New Komeito's raison d'etre
Natsuo Yamaguchi, the just re-elected chief of New Komeito, and other party leaders should realize that if the party fails to ensure that Japan stays on the pacifist road with respect to the passage of new legislation, it will lose its raison d'etre.
EDITORIALS
Sep 23, 2014
Scotland stays in
Although last week's vote in Scotland preserves the U.K., expect the Union to be transformed as the Scottish people hold British politicians to their campaign pledge of giving the Scots more power over their own affairs.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2014
U.K. stays intact, promising more powers to nationalists
The No-to-independence campaign in Scotland was greatly helped by the publication of a joint pledge by all three U.K. party leaders that there would be speedy legislation conferring extensive new powers to the Scottish parliament.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2014
Union could unravel over devolution pressure
If the Scottish nationalists had won, they'd have started a risky, costly transition to independence, but the final destination would have been clear. The unionists' victory avoids that short-term pain but prolongs the constitutional uncertainty.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 21, 2014
New opposition party launched as Ishin no To
After months of wrangling, Nippon Ishin no Kai and Yui no To launch a new entity called Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) to help realign Japan's opposition parties.
EDITORIALS
Sep 18, 2014
Time to bridge the vote-value gap
Time is running for lawmakers to correct the 'unconstitutional' vote-value gap between constituencies for the next triennial election of the Upper House. Discord with the Liberal Democratic Party over the matter doesn't help.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 18, 2014
Corruption exists; it's the response that matters
Contrasting approaches to fighting recent cases of political corruption in the U.S. and China underscore how China remains more a nation ruled by one party than by law.
EDITORIALS
Sep 16, 2014
Repairing Japan-China ties
The leaders of China and Japan need to take quick action to repair mutual ties that have unraveled since the Japanese government two years ago nationalized three of the Senkaku Islands — over which China also claims sovereignty.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2014
Brazil's contradictory election candidate
Candidate Marina Silva has put together a set of policies and a coalition of supporters that are sometimes downright contradictory, but they may deliver her into the Brazilian presidency.
EDITORIALS
Sep 4, 2014
Keep a close eye on new Cabinet
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reshuffled executive posts of the Liberal Democratic Party and his Cabinet apparently with the aim of setting up his re-election as the Liberal Democratic Party's president in autumn 2015.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2014
Grading the Modi government
By the way he talks, new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi might appear to be replicating his Gujarat state model of learning to walk before starting to run with headstrong solutions to the big problems facing the country. Even so, he will have to walk the walk sooner than later.
EDITORIALS
Aug 21, 2014
Seabed drilling off Henoko
The Abe administration's approval of the start of seabed drilling off Henoko, Okinawa, shows that it is not much concerned with winning the support of Okinawans as it pushes for construction of a new facility to replace U.S. Marine Air Station Futenma.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2014
Make no mistake about Thailand's problem
The Thai military has not played the role of 'democratic defender' following its recent coup. Instead, its intervention shows its desperate move to maintain power ahead of the imminent royal succession.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2014
Australia should take lead on global no-first-use convention
There are good reasons why Australia is a credible candidate for leading the push for a global convention to enshrine a universal no-first-use policy for nuclear weapons.
EDITORIALS
Aug 17, 2014
Intransigent India
India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, has perplexed international supporters by torpedoing a World Trade Organization deal that would have reformed customs rules and made global trade much easier.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 4, 2014
Russia sanctions will hurt innocent companies
For all the West's efforts to punish companies close to Russian President Vladimir Putin with financial sanctions, it's the blameless private companies that will probably suffer the most.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 31, 2014
Indonesia gets a sprout with a new president
Having conducted an election that produced a successor president without excessive tumult or corruption, Indonesia may well be on its way to emerging as a major global player.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2014
Ishihara's new party embraces 'neoconservative' policies
Jisedai no To, established by conservative lawmakers including former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, unveil policies that include drafting a new Constitution and denying non-Japanese residents the right to vote.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?