Right-wing Abe returns to the fore in Japanese politics

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been reelected chairman of Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and is slated to become leader after leaving office in disgrace five years ago. His party is likely to win a parliamentary majority in the upcoming general elections.

The nationalist Abe, 58, defeated former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a come-from-behind victory in the final vote.

Abe had been a distant second by earning 141 out of 498 votes in the first round of voting, in which rank-and-file party members, supporters and legislators participated, and Ishiba took 199. Since nobody earned a majority of votes, however, Abe rallied in the final vote of legislators only by beating his rival, 108-89.

The reversal in the final round of voting by the opposition party was the first since 1956, when Tanzan Ishibasi elected chairman.

In September 2006, Abe became the leader of his party, which then held a parliamentary majority, and wound up as Japan`s youngest prime minister and the first born after World War II. A year into his term, however, he resigned after his party lost in the Upper House elections, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution on sex slaves rounded up by the Japanese imperial army, and several Cabinet members were embroiled in scandals.

With Abe’s election, Northeast Asia is expected to face a tough time. He pledged to revise Article 9 of his country`s constitution, which renounces the right to wage war to settle global disputes and bans Japan from keeping a military. but failed to do so over his term. He also promised to reassert Tokyo`s right to collective self-defense. Abe is also closely tied to right-wing Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.

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