Democratic Progressive Party in Japan Eh?
Welcome to another episode on what's happening in/on/to Japan. I'm your navigator, Nathan Shiga.
民主党は14日、新党名に関して世論調査結果を検討する党名検討チームの議論を経て新党協議会を開催。世論調査で多数を占めた「民進党」を新党名案とすることで協議会で合意した。 https://t.co/rslXS2BTxz #民主党 pic.twitter.com/EY0YMZU9jc
— 民主党 (@dpjnews) 2016年3月14日
No, I don't mean to ridicule you folks, not at all; I merely let out my immediate reaction the moment I heard this afternoon that Japan's two leading opposition parties agreed to unite under the same party name already proudly shared in Taiwan.
For some time now, the two parties, JDP or Japan Democratic Party and Ishin-no-Kai or Restoration Party, were battling over the name of a new party they would unite under, and this afternoon chairmen of both parties agreed on "Minshinto" or Democratic Progressive Party, DDP - the name, of all names, of the now ruling government party in Taiwan under Tsai Ing-wen.
The news flash has it that it was Chairman Matsuno of Ishin-no Kai who had insisted on the name and Chairman Okada of JDP conceded.
The Upper House election upcoming, there is a prevalent consensus within the opposition to avoid the image of JDP that had suffered a fatal defeat in the previous general elections. Though the diehard core members stood adamant on the current party name, JDP, Chairman Okada somehow wiggled out of the intra-party argument to come to settle for DPP. It was a costly decision no doubt as the diehards now have lots of teeth to grind and the former JDP has a rough voyage ahead in the new-born party.
Cynicism aside, I must say Chairman Matsuno the former Ishin-no Kai is a brilliant fortuneteller in having picked the name of a winning political party in Taiwan which is now a Star of Hope in that country and its leader and the first female president-elect Tsai Ing-wen is the flag-bear of a New Taiwan to be born two months away.
