61455 Aware of the election, the Murayama administration prepared the lavish popularity-seeking 1995 budget, contrary to its call for an efficient "small government," and postponed the policy to work its fingers to the bones for the citizens.
61456 In response to the implementation of the single-seated constituency, both the parties and politicians are too preoccupied with their own s survival and saving their own status to pay attention to the "reform" which Japanese politics should embrace.
61457 There will be nationwide local elections in the spring and the Upper House election in the summer of this year.
61458 Additionally, while the timing is unknown, the current political state seems to point to the direction where there is a strong possibility that the first general election based on the new electoral system will be held.
61459 On the occasion of the 50th year after the Second World War, if for some strange fate the "three major elections" are held in combination, this is going to be the year that would literally determine the future of Japan and its political significance will be enormous.
61460 At this point, however, on the verge of these elections with important implications, it is absolutely unclear what the various parties are going to appeal to the people and press for their selection.
61461 Regarding the basic principles, while all the parties without exception have similar themes on display such as "liberty, democracy and peace" for the LDP, "fairness, co-existence, peace and creativity" for the Social Democratic Party, and "liberty, fairness, fellowship and harmonious co-existence" for the New Frontier Party, these are nothing more than a list of rhetorical slogans that nobody can argue about and the reasoning behind the policy is also absent.
61462 Under such circumstances, the public cannot help but get confused as to what they should rely on to choose a party and candidates.
61463 Primarily, the main purpose for introducing the single-set constituency was to revitalize the party politics where the competition is focused on the parties and policies.
61464 Politicians changed their party labels as they pleased depending on the circumstances in their ridings and there is a concern that the campaigns offering free frills to voters and bankrolled elections exceeding that for middle-sized election districts may become rampant in small districts.
61465 Furthermore, if the elections become "policy-free" and places priority on local interests, then the purpose of introducing the single seat constituency would be completely neglected and it will be abundantly clear that the people's distrust and apathy towards politics will be further cultivated.
61466 It is necessary for each party to eliminate the scramble for power and party dissolution or formation without any definite view of its own, cultivate the ability to propose policies, and, as soon as possible, hammer out an original policy system that is logically coherent and, at the same time, different from that for other parties.
61467 The aftereffect of the bursting of the bubble still remains present in every area of the economy and is placing a burden on the lives of the people.
61468 The international situation will be inevitably turbulent again this year and the most urgent issues concerning domestic and foreign policies such as responding to the new Japan-US relations and the state of affairs in Asia and other related matters are accumulating.
61469 Three is no time for politics to keep drifting anymore.