nuclear-news

In Japan’s elections, nuclear power is THE issue

Nuclear power ‘major issue’ in Japan poll SBS World News, 11 DEC 2012,    SOURCE: KATESTOWELL, SBS Opinion polls have suggested the LDP is on course to return to government as the biggest party, but not with an outright majority.(AAP)
The future of nuclear power is shaping up as the major issue on voters’ minds ahead of national elections in Japan this week. …
Every Friday in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s residence and
Parliament, anti-nuclear protesters turn up to make their voices
heard.

Some want whoever wins this Sunday’s election to close down the
nuclear power plants immediately – others are worried about the
economy…. “Only the LDP talks about consulting the experts before
deciding what to do. But the electorate is unequivocally in favour of
eliminating nuclear energy from Japan’s energy mix. I think what we’re
going to see in this election is that parties are going to recognise
the popular appeal of this platform, but that does not mean that after
the election we are going to see a realisation of that policy.”

One prominent anti-nuclear voice is former Prime Minister Naoto Kan,
who was leader of the DPJ at the time of the Fukushima disaster.

“If the Liberal Democratic Party does indeed manage to get a majority
again and looks to really start restarting reactors again and make
things as they were then that’s indeed something that I’d want to look
to prevent or stop.”

Sophia University Associate Professor of political science Koiichi
Nakano says the pro-nuclear camp – including the LDP, business groups
and power companies – don’t want to debate the issue.

“They don’t particularly want to have a debate about that. They rather
want to shelve the issue, pretend nothing much happened. And they
won’t come out saying we are pro-nuclear, let’s continue. But instead
they’ll say something like let’s wait for three year.”……
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1719533/Nuclear-power-major-issue-in-Japan-poll

December 13, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics