Hatoyama Confirmed as Japan's New PM

(NEWSER) - Japanese PM Taro Aso dissolved parliament today to begin a watershed election that could break his party's 50-year grip on power, Reuters reports. In a nationwide TV address, Aso apologized for his shortcomings as a leader and for internal squabbling that cost his conservative party at recent local elections. Opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama, far ahead in the polls to become the next PM, said today that "This is a major, revolutionary election. We should face it with a sense of historic mission." More»

Yukio Hatoyama gets to work after historic opposition victory

(NEWSER) - Japan's incoming prime minister hailed a democratic "revolution" as more complete results confirmed a sweeping victory for the center-left Democratic Party. Yukio Hatoyama will lead a bloc of more than 300 parliamentary members, more than three times its previous representation, after what the Times of London calls the most decisive election result in Japanese history. Hatoyama, who should become prime minister in about two weeks, has promised less bureaucracy, greater welfare spending, and a more independent relationship with the US. More»

Sunday election likely to end 54 years in power

(NEWSER) - Sunday will likely mark a milestone in Japanese politics as voters dump the Liberal Democratic Party after more than a half-century in power, the Washington Post reports. Even senior LDP leaders acknowledge that Yukio Hatoyama will probably trounce incumbent Prime Minister Taro Aso, and polls predict a staggering turnout with a record 89% of voters interested in the election. More»

Half century of power expected to end today

(NEWSER) - Japanese voters began casting ballots today in a general election expected to clean house, reports the Financial Times. The Democratic Party of Japan will almost certainly thump the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled the nation 11 months out of the last 54 years. More»

Loses grip on upper house, retains more powerful lower house

(AP) - Japanese media are projecting that the ruling Democrats lost seats in a parliamentary election, dealing a setback to the progressive party's 10-month old government. Public broadcaster NHK predicted that the Democratic Party of Japan won less than 50 contested seats in today's upper house election, down from 54 before the polls. Other TV stations put the DPJ at 47 to 48 seats. More»