64 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
64 lines
3.6 KiB
Plaintext
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTY WANTS BETTER RELATIONS WITH OTHER PLANETS
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FILE: UFO2221
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By JANICE FUHRMAN Associated Press Writer
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TOKYO (AP) -- A political party that wants better relations with other
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planets and a wrestler who believes sports is the key to world peace have
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captured the fancy of voters wearied by the scandals of mainstream politicians.
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Half the seats in the upper house of parliament are at stake this month, and
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the dominant political party is working overtime trying to clean up its image
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and raise its approval ratings by promising reforms.
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Meanwhile, a variety of fringe parties are taking advantage of the
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disenchantment with the governing Liberal Democratic Party and the law that
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liberally allocates the airwaves to political campaigns.
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Under the Public Office Election Law, any party producing 10 members who pay
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$29,000 each as "guarantee money" can claim at least 14 minutes on the Japan
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Broadcasting Corp. channel and additional radio time, reaching a potential
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audience of 122 million.
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The UFO Party, offering nine candidates, has qualified for four free
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television appearances and two radio broadcasts. So has the Sports Peace Party
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and the Slash-the-Number-of-Parliamentarians Party.
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The Miscellaneous People's Party, which advocates gay rights, earned two
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television appearances and one radio broadcast.
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About 34 of the so-called mini-parties are supporting candidates in the July
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23 elections for 126 seats in the upper house.
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Although most candidates read their speeches on a staid blue-and-gray set
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with a dull monotone and a deadpan look, some have mastered the medium of
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television.
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Haruzo Hanawa, 73-year-old head of the New Sun Party for the Extermination
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of AIDs and Sexual Disease, sang a self-composed ditty. His song called for
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legalizing prostitution, and he exhorted young people to develop sexual
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morality.
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Towering former wrestler Antonio Inoki of the Sports Peace Party told
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voters: "Violence isn't necessary, but a leader should have a certain kind of
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energy."
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Inoki's platform stresses the achievement of world peace through
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international sports exchanges. The ex-grappler is perhaps best known outside
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Japan for his widely ridiculed exhibition match 13 years ago with former boxing
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great Muhammad Ali.
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The head of the Slash-the-Number-of-Parliamentarians Party, Kikuo Suda,
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began his speech with, "Don't you think there are too many parliament members?
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If we did it the way they do in the United States, we would have only 50
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members in the (252-member) upper house."
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The UFO party has spent its air time calling for a comprehensive policy to
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deal with unidentified flying objects, announcing that the British ambassador
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told them Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a strong interest in the
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subject.
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The Japan Youth Association, an ultra-right group, was represented by
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Toyohisa Eto, who argued against Japan's anti-war constitution and against
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opening Japan's markets to farm exports.
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The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, are struggling with the Recruit Co.
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influence-peddling scandal that forced the resignation of former Prime Minister
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Norobu Takeshita. His successor, Sousuke Uno, has been fending off allegations
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about his relationship with a geisha and the fallout from a sales tax his party
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backed that has angered consumers.
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The Liberal Democrats, who have governed Japan for 34 years, are suffering
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unprecedented disapproval ratings.
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* THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo *
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