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Japan opposition head revives election chances
Mon May 18, 2009 12:45am EDT
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By Chisa Fujioka
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's opposition Democratic Party has revived its chances of ousting Prime Minister Taro Aso's party in a looming election after replacing its scandal-tainted leader, media polls showed on Monday.
A Democratic victory would end more than five decades of almost unbroken Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule and raise the chances of breaking through a political deadlock that has stymied policy implementation in a recession.
The Democrat's new leader, Yukio Hatoyama, is struggling with an image as a close ally of predecessor Ichiro Ozawa, whose scandal had narrowed the Democrats' lead over the LDP before a general election that media speculate may be held in August.
Still, a weekend survey by the daily Yomiuri newspaper showed 41 percent of voters planned to cast their ballots for the Democrats in the next general election, up from 30 percent in a previous poll.
That compared with 27 percent for the LDP, unchanged from the earlier poll.
"The possibility of a change in government has emerged again," said Hirotaka Futatsuki, an independent commentator.
The Democrats posted gains in other newspaper surveys as well, although an initial poll on Sunday by Kyodo news agency had shown only a tiny bounce.
A poll by the Asahi newspaper showed 38 percent of voters planned to vote for the Democrats, up from 32 percent and against 25 percent for the LDP, down two points.
Forty-one percent of respondents to a Nikkei business daily opted for the Democrats -- nearly the level before the scandal broke and compared with 28 percent for Aso's ruling party.
PUPPET-MASTER OZAWA?
Hatoyama, 62, on Sunday picked predecessor Ozawa to oversee campaign strategy in the upcoming election and tapped the popular rival he defeated in Saturday's leadership race as his No. 2.
Analysts said Hatoyama, beginning his second stint as leader, would need to shake off an image that he was being controlled by Ozawa, who stepped down last week to rescue the party's chances of winning at the polls.
"The big problem Hatoyama faces is if the media beats him up as a puppet of Ozawa," said Gerry Curtis, a Columbia University professor and expert in Japanese politics.
"That will hurt him, so he has to figure out a way to use Ozawa's election skills without creating this impression."
Some analysts said the blow from Ozawa's scandal, in which a close aide was arrested for illegal fundraising charges, meant a clear election outcome was still unlikely. Continued...
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