The mountain of pigeons crumbles…

While Abe is on the rise, the eponymous Mountain of Pigeons, excuse me, former Prime Minister Hatoyama will not be on the rolls of the next Lower House of the Diet as a DPJ member. Is it the end of an era? At least if you’re one who likes his prime ministers to resemble the Greys, it surely is. Still, he’s had a pretty good run I imagine. Led a government, been an MP for a number of years. Not a job I’d take but still, bully for him. 鳩山元首相:衆院選に 出馬せず…後援会幹 部に意向

毎日新聞 2012年11月20日 21時51分 （最終更新 11月20日 22時08分） 民主党の鳩山由紀夫元首相（６５）＝衆 院北海道９区＝は２０日、衆院選（１２月 ４日公示、１６日投開票）に同党公認で 立候補することを断念した。地元の後援会 幹部に電話で「もう出ない」と伝えた。民 主党北海道によると、鳩山氏は２１日に野 田佳彦首相に不出馬を伝えたい意向で、 同日夕、北海道内で記者会見し正式表明す るという。無所属や他党からの立候補もせ ず、政界を引退するのかどうかは明らかに していない。 鳩山氏は消費増税法に反対して党員資格 停止の処分を受けたほか、野田首相の進め る環太平洋パートナーシップ協定（ＴＰ Ｐ）交渉への参加にも反対を明言してい る。１７日には衆院選出馬に意欲を示す一 方で「自分の信念を曲げるつもりはない」 とも強調。民主党執行部は消費増税やＴ ＰＰ推進に反対する候補者は公認しない方 針で、鳩山氏の対応が注目されていた。 鳩山氏は０９年９月に誕生した民主党政 権の初代首相に就任したが、１０年６月に 退陣。いったんは次の衆院選での政界引退 も表明したが、その後、撤回した。【斎藤 誠、竹島一登】 http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20121121k0000m010057000c.html

Former Prime Minister Hatoyama: Will not run in Lower House Elections…would like to serve on party election committee

The Democratic Party of Japan’s former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (65), representing Hokkaido Lower House District 9, said on the 20 th , that he declined to be designated as a candidate by his party for the Lower House election (campaign begins 12/4, vote held on 12/16). He told the local election committee leadership by phone, “I will not run again.” According to the Hokkaido DPJ chapter, Hatoyama planned to notify Prime Minister Yoshihiro Noda on the 21 st that he would not run again and will make a formal announcement at a press conference in Hokkaido that same evening. He will also not run as an independent or representing another party, but did not indicate whether this marked his retirement from politics or not.

Hatoyama’s party membership was suspended over his opposition to the consumption tax increase bill and he has also voiced opposition to Prime Minister Noda’s continued negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). On the 17 th , Hatoyama had indicated his desire to run in Lower House elections but declared that “I will not change my core beliefs.” The DPJ’s party leadership has set a policy of not approving candidates who oppose the consumption tax increase and TPP negotiations so Hatoyama’s response was highily anticipated.

Hatoyama ascended to the head of the DPJ administration in September 2009 and served as its first prime minister, but stepped down in June of 2010. At the time, he announced that he would retire from politics after the next Lower House election, but then retracted that intention.