Thursday, June 02, 2011

The Rebellion Is No More

Haraguchi Kazuhiro just voted against the motion. Hatoyama Yukio has voted against the motion. Only one member of the Democratic Party of Japan, Yokokume Katsuhito* has voted for the motion so far. Ozawa is not present.

Later - The number of votes against the motion has passed 241, 50% +1 of the full chamber. Kan is still prime minister.

Even later still - Matsuki Kenko voted for the motion. His career in the party is over. One more member of the DPJ voted for the motion but I did not see who it was.

And even later still - The final vote is 152 For, 293 Against.

A commenter asks the obvious question whether this was all a set up. A few days ago, that was the way I saw it. Then I lost faith.

I have still have a few things to learn...among them what will happen to Ozawa and all the others who were not present. Will Okada really carry through on his threat to toss the 18 abstainers out of the party?

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* Yokokume, a proportional seat member of the DPJ, tried to resign from the party. However, DPJ Secretary-General Okada Katsuya refused to accept his resignation.

2 comments:

rabuho said...

"Will Okada really carry through on his threat to toss abstainers out of the party?"

He had damn well better, or the DPJ leadership will have been revealed to be all smoke and no fire. That will come back to haunt them at the next election.

Joe said...

I think Kan and Okada need to come down on Ozawa like the wrath of God and kick his backside out, and tell Hatoyama in no uncertain terms that he is to keep his mouth shut unless someone in the Cabinet tells him to speak.

Seriously, what the hell was all this for, anyway?