Daily Yomiuri Online :: Thursday, September 3, 2009

• TRANSFER OF POWER--what lies ahead for DPJ / Choppy waters ahead for politician-led govt (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  This is the second installment of a series about the Democratic Party of Japan, which will become the ruling party after winning 308 seats in the House of Representatives election. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / Keidanren to call for DPJ caution in climate talks (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) decided Wednesday to call on the Democratic Party of Japan, which will soon form a new government, to take a cautious approach during international talks to set the country's target to curb greenhouse gas emissions. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / DPJ begins tripartite talks / Parties aiming to find common ground on diplomacy, security (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  The Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and People's New Party on Wednesday began talks to form a coalition government and agreed to draw up a consensus document that includes common policies, including those agreed last month ahead of Sunday's general election. continued ...


• Data on GSDF chief of staff illegally leaked (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  KAGOSHIMA--Personal information about Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Yoshifumi Hibako was included in data illegally leaked by a GSDF officer, it has been learned. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / Masuzoe won't seek LDP leadership (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said Wednesday he would not run in the next Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election to be held on Sept. 28 to pick a new party president to succeed outgoing LDP President Taro Aso. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / DPJ rookies will find it hard to get good help (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  With 143 rookie candidates winning seats in the latest House of Representatives election, the Democratic Party of Japan is expected to face a serious shortage in secretarial resources.
  Of the three government-paid secretaries a lawmaker is allowed to have, a policy secretary must have at least 10 years of experience as a chief or second government-funded secretary to a lawmaker or be among the maximum of 9 percent who pass a special Diet house exam to qualify for the post.
  It takes many years to develop expertise in the processing of Diet business, the national budget and administrative structures.
  An experienced policy secretary of a DPJ lawmaker expressed concern, saying "It isn't so hard to find the chief and the second government-paid secretaries, but we'll surely see a dire shortage of policy secretaries."


• DPJ to stress importance of relations with China (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya Okada said Wednesday that the DPJ would seek to deepen ties between Japan and China after it takes power. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / 500 LDP politicians' secretaries face ax (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Secretaries of Liberal Democratic Party members who were defeated in Sunday's House of Representatives election, as well as staff at the party headquarters, are worried they could lose their jobs. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / DPJ move leaves bureaucrats in quandary (Sep.3)
  Hiroaki Matsunaga and Toshihiko Yada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
  Bureaucrats in government ministries and agencies have expressed puzzlement over how the transfer of power will play out in their offices as the Democratic Party of Japan withdrew a plan to set up a team to aid the transition to a new administration. continued ...


• TRANSFER OF POWER / Handouts alone won't raise kids (Sep.3)
  Ayako Kondo and Yoshiko Kosaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
  With the Democratic Party of Japan's election victory, the child allowance cash handouts pledged in its manifesto are all but certain to be implemented. continued ...


• Editorial :: New coalition govt needs realistic security policy (Sep.3)
  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  The Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party have begun talks on forming a tripartite coalition government. continued ...