(DTI/Illustration Stephen Finn)
Mar 10, 2010 | ASIA PACIFIC

Dentists' association in Japan switches party support

by Daniel Zimmermann, DTI

HONG KONG/LEIPZIG, Germany: The Japanese Dental Association (JDA) has announced that it will cease its support of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in favour of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the upcoming Upper House elections. The decision came after the DPJ told the Association it would support the idea of a dentist running on the party’s ticket and campaign for the candidate, who would run for a proportional representation seat.

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Being a long-time supporter of the LDP, the JDA is the first of the country's powerful medical-related political groups, many of which have incumbent Upper House members, to stop backing the Liberal Democrats.

Founded in 1955, the LDP is one of the most consistently successful democratically elected parties in the world. It held office in Japan for nearly 54 years with only one interruption in 1993/1994. Last year the party lost executive power in the national elections, giving away government posts and many of their seats in the Lower House to members of the DPJ.

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