Democratic Party (Japan)

Democratic Party
民進党
Japanese name Shine Minshintō
President Renhō
Secretary-General Yoshihiko Noda[1]
Founded 27 March 2016 (2016-03-27)
Merger of Democratic Party of Japan
Innovation Party
Vision of Reform
Headquarters Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Ideology Big tent
Liberalism
Social liberalism[2]
Political position Centre
International affiliation None
Colors      Blue
Councillors
49 / 242
Representatives
97 / 475
Website
minshin.jp

The Democratic Party (民進党 Minshintō), abbreviated as DP, is the main opposition political party in Japan.[3] The party was founded on 27 March 2016 from the merger of the Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Innovation Party.[4]

Etymology

The party's Japanese name Minshintō combines "min" from minshu ("democratic") and shin (進, "advance, progress"), not shin (新, "new") from ishin (innovation).[5]

History

On 24 February 2016 the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) announced that they were to merge at a special convention on 27 March to form a new opposition party in order to better compete with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in an Upper House election that was scheduled for later the same year.[6][7][8][9] On 4 March 2016, the DPJ and JIP asked the public for suggestions for a name for the merged party.[10] On 14 March 2016, the name of the new party was announced as Minshintō (Democratic Progressive Party), the most popular shortlisted name among polled voters and preferred by the JIP, beating Rikken Minshutō (Constitutional Democratic Party) that was preferred by the DPJ.[5] On 18 March 2016, the official English language title of the new party was announced as the Democratic Party.[11] On 22 March, the DPJ announced that 4 sitting Representatives from Vision of Reform would join the party at its launch.[12]

The new party was founded on 27 March 2016 with the leadership consisting of Katsuya Okada as party president, Yukio Edano as secretary-general and Shiori Yamao as policy chief.[13] The party platform committed to protecting the existing pacifist Japanese constitution, and stating opposition to the 'Abenomics' policies of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.[14][15][16]

2016 House of Councillors election

The election on 10 July 2016 was the first major election contested by the party. Following the merger, the party entered the election with 62 seats in the 242-seat House, with 45 of those 62 seats being contested. During the nomination period, the party signed an agreement with the Communist, Social Democratic and People's Life parties to field a jointly-endorsed candidate in each of the 32 districts in which only one seat is contested, uniting in an attempt to take control of the House from the LDP/Komeito coalition.[17] Despite the agreement, party leader Okada stated that forming a coalition government with the Communist Party would be "impossible" in the near future due to some of the "extreme leftist policies" promoted by the JCP.[18]

The party had a total of 55 official candidates contesting the election, the same number as the DPJ in the 2013 election and the third-most behind the LDP and Communist Party.[19] 33 candidates contested the single- and multi-member districts and 22 were in the party's list for the 48-seat national proportional representation block.[19] A further 15 independent candidates contesting single-seat districts were endorsed by the party. The party suffered a considerable defeat at the hands of the ruling coalition, losing 13 seats overall. Five of the 15 endorsed independents were also elected, including two that claimed seats formerly held by retiring Democratic Party members.[20] Following the loss, Okada announced he would not seek re-election as leader at the party's annual meeting in September.[21]

Presidents of the Democratic Party

No. Name Term of office Image Election results
Took office Left office
— Katsuya Okada
岡田 克也
Okada Katsuya		 27 March 2016 1 October 2016 Interim President
see former DPJ 2015 election
1st Renhō
村田 蓮舫
Murata Renhō		 1 October 2016 Incumbent see 2016 election

Election results

Councillors election results

Election Leader # of seats total # of seats won # of National votes % of National vote # of National seats won # of Prefectural votes % of Prefectural vote # of Prefectural seats won
2016 Katsuya Okada
49 / 242
32 / 121
 11,751,015[22] 21.0%
11 / 48
[23]		 14,215,956[24] 25.1%
21 / 73
[23]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ https://www.minshin.jp/about-dp/principles, “民進党綱領” (プレスリリース), 民進党, (2016年3月27日)
  3. ↑ 民進英語名、略称ＤＰに Yomiuri Shimbun
  4. ↑ http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/New-opposition-party-launched-with-merger-of-DPJ-smaller-party
  5. 1 2 "Introducing Minshin To, Japan's new main opposition force". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "New main opposition party to be named 'Minshinto'". The Mainichi. Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Osaki, Tomohiro; Yoshida, Reiji (24 February 2016). "DPJ endorses merger with Ishin no To; new party to form next month". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "DPJ, Japan Innovation Party to merge ahead of Upper House election". Asia & Japan Watch. Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "DPJ, Ishin to merge March 27 at special convention". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "DPJ, Ishin no To invite entries for new party name". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  11. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/18/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-gets-democratic-party/
  12. ↑ https://www.dpj.or.jp/english/news/?num=21026
  13. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/27/national/politics-diplomacy/democratic-party-launches-vow-halt-ruling-coalition/#.Vvp5O_1F1Fx
  14. ↑ http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201603280036.html
  15. ↑ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-03/27/c_135227248.htm
  16. ↑ Introducing Minshin To, Japan’s new main opposition force
  17. ↑ "Opposition parties, activists ink policy pact for Upper House election". Japan Times. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  18. ↑ Osaki, Tomohiro (21 June 2016). "Abe to 'take responsibility' if ruling bloc fails to win 61 seats in Upper House election". Japan Times. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  19. 1 2 "第３極衰退で候補者減、タレント候補１０人に" [Fewer candidates with the demise of the third pole - 10 celebrity candidates] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "参院選2016(参議院選挙)" [House of Councillors election 2016]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  21. ↑ "Democratic Party chief Okada won't seek re-election". Japan Times. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  22. ↑ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: results of the 24th regular election of members of the House of Councillors, [national d'Hondt] proportional representation vote share by party (Japanese)
  23. 1 2 Yomiuri Shimbun: Results of regular HC election 2016 (Japanese)
  24. ↑ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: results of the 24th regular election of members of the House of Councillors, [prefectural SNTV/FPTP] electoral district vote share by party (Japanese)
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