FOCUS: Hatoyama gov't makes encouraging start, says ex-Blair media chief+

LONDON, Nov. 12 Kyodo -
The new Japanese government has improved the way it communicates with the
public and is starting to stand up to the once all-powerful bureaucracy,
according to the man who once served as former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair's media chief and who gave advice to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan
on strategy before the general election.

Alastair Campbell says he ''senses'' the new DPJ-led government is delivering
clearer messages to voters and can see the government is employing some of the
techniques and structures that were used by the former British prime minister
when his center-left Labour party came into office in 1997.
Before taking the reins of power in mid-September, the DPJ was keen to look at
how other parties made the transition into government, particularly after a
long spell in opposition. The Liberal Democratic Party had ruled Japan for over
half a century.
DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa met Campbell and other Labour officials to
see how they made their mark in government.
Campbell, who acted as Blair's chief spokesman and media strategist between
1994 and 2003, told Kyodo News that Ozawa and his team were particularly
interested in how to deal with the civil service.
Critics have argued that Japanese public officials have wielded too much
influence over policy formulation with ministers effectively rubber-stamping
what has been decided by bureaucrats, individual lawmakers and various vested
interests.
Campbell explained, ''I said that in my experience the civil service machine
responded well to clear leadership.
''I emphasized that any new government has a period when interest in, and
support for it, is at its height, and it is vital to use that time well.
''I emphasized the need to win external and internal support for change. My
impression is that the Japanese civil service is more driven by its own agenda
than ours, so it is doubly important the public understands the nature of the
changes proposed and the reasons.''
Campbell said Ozawa was ''very well informed'' about the structural changes
Blair had made to government, ''in particular the strengthening of the
center.''
And Blair's former adviser can see aspects of this being replicated in Japan,
despite the very different political cultures.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has sought to end the influence of individual
lawmakers and bureaucrats in policymaking and instead promoted the Cabinet as
the main policy-formulating body.
The new government has developed a series of Cabinet committees to help policy
formulation - a mechanism imported from Britain. The new National Policy Unit,
headed by Naoto Kan, deputy prime minister, is also designed to bolster the
center by creating ''national visions.''
Campbell said, ''They wanted a detailed analysis of how we made those
(structural) changes (to strengthen the center) and what effect we felt they
had. I briefed them on our meetings structures, forward planning functions,
liaison within the government and also some of the structures we set up during
major international crises.''
The DPJ has also taken a close look at how Labour presented its case to the
electorate in the election manifesto. In 1997, Labour produced an eye-catching
card for voters which listed five specific pledges designed to counter the
impression that politicians are all hot air.
And this summer, the DPJ paid great importance to its manifesto with a series
of pledges.
Campbell, who has published ''The Blair Years,'' said, ''The impression I
gained was of people with a clear agenda for change but who knew that sometimes
promising change is easier than making it happen.
''But I also sensed a real determination. I suppose if there was a single
message I sought to impart it was the importance of clarity of objective,
toughness of strategy and the necessity of clear leadership and teamwork.''
Now that the DPJ is in office, Campbell ''senses'' an attempt by the government
to be more ''strategic in communications'' and to give ''sharper and clearer
messages.''
He believes the new government will need to constantly explain to the
electorate the changes that are being made and why.
Christopher Hood, an expert in Japanese studies at Cardiff University, agrees
the DPJ has taken a leaf out of Labour's book, in terms of communicating clear
pledges to voters.
He said, ''The DPJ seems to be getting sharper at this. This has been a general
weakness in Japanese politics in the past so I would say it's a refreshing
change.
''Having said that, I think the DPJ will find and, in relation to dams for
example, may already be finding, that sometimes reality steps in and they have
to rethink pledges.''
The DPJ's policy of suspending and reviewing the construction of new dams
across the country has been deeply unpopular in some municipalities.
Hood is unsure to what extent British practices can be introduced into Japan
given the different political cultures and the long tradition of an
all-powerful bureaucracy.
''I think the shift to reduce the influence of the bureaucrats will be an
interesting one. If only Japan had a version of 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime
Minister' to watch!''
These BBC comedy programs showed how powerful civil servants were in comparison
to their hapless political masters.
==Kyodo
2009-11-12 22:48:52