Japan and Gabon

Two distant and very different nations went to the polls this weekend: Gabon and Japan. Both of them will see the first change in Governments in more than four decades, but each one their way.

Japan democratically elected, as all the reports suggested it was going to happen, a swift in the Government. The landslide election victory won by the center-left Democratic Party of Japan is historic. After an almost solid run of 54 years in power the Liberal Democratic Party has been sent packing by a Japanese public desperate for change and fed up with its backroom power broking - it has changed prime ministers time after time without a general election.

This has an impact even greater for Japan. The mere fact of a party handling the power for half a century illustrates well this. Up until now, everything was fixed in the Asiatic Giant. Everyone had their place in the chain, everyone knew what they had to do. Like in the assembly line of a Toyota car factory.

Until the recession hit. Or more precisely, until recession blew up the entire world. Japan was already going backwards way before the West started to suffer the present meltdown. Yukio Hatoyama, the new Japanese president, mirrored Obama making a campaign for change, in a way even Obama (not even European leaders) would dare to attempt. The hope for the Japanese is that Hatoyama will be able to accomplish, at least, a few of his promises. First signs of recovery have arrived even before he takes over the office: the Yen is up and the recession is over for Japan (for now).

Gabon too had suffered a rule of more than 40 years, but in this case, somehow imposed. Omar Bongo ruled the country until he died in June. Corruption was normality among Bongo’s cabinet. After his death it was revealed he had properties and millions of wealth in banks all around the globe.

Meanwhile, his country was poor. And its economy is based dangerously only in timber and oil. But at least was stable -a big “at least” when talking about Africa. Now, after Mongo’s death and awaiting for the results of the elections held this weekend to decide his successor, the country heads into an uncertain future.

Even a Gabonese supermodel, Gloria Mika, has been advocating for a fair play in the elections before they took place. But worse could be yet to come. If results aren't the expected by the ruling majority, it might end up in a destabilized country, as often happens in Africa. The favorite is, of course, one of Bongo's sons: Ali Ben Bongo.

Both Japan and Gabon face the future with hope and, until certain point, fear of the future. But something tells me one of them will do better than the other. Anyone?


Gloria Mika
Photo: Telegraph

Did you like it? Share it