Vote Ties Japanese Parliament in a Knot
Looks like the Japanese government is headed for a frustrating, and potentially ineffectual, phase after Sunday's election left the nation's parliament in a "twisted" condition. That's an actual term, not a value judgment.
Looks like the Japanese government is headed for a frustrating, and potentially ineffectual, phase after Sunday’s election left the nation’s parliament in a “twisted” condition. That’s an actual term, not a value judgment. –KA
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AP via Google News:
The Democratic Party-led coalition enjoys a comfortable majority in the powerful lower house, but it lost control of the upper house in an election this week. If past experience holds, the twisted parliament is a formula for policy gridlock, because both houses must approve legislation.
The predicament, which has plagued earlier governments too, comes at a time when Japan badly needs action. The world’s second-largest economy faces serious challenges, from reducing its bulging budget deficit and reviving growth to fighting deflation and shoring up its social security system as the population ages and shrinks.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
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