Japan's LDP releases manifesto

By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo

Takafumi Horie is one of the new "celebrity candidates"

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has unveiled its manifesto for the 11 September general election.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has made clear that his post office privatisation bill will be the party's main platform.

But much interest is also focused on the so-called celebrity candidates the party has attracted to run against anti-reformers.

One of the most controversial is an internet entrepreneur who is just 32.

Takafumi Horie is no shrinking violet. He recently published a book called Earning Money is Everything, From Zero to 10bn Yen My Way.

He hit the headlines when he tried to take over a large Japanese media group.

New blood

It was cast as a clash between the stodgy business establishment and a maverick entrepreneur, and Mr Horie won widespread support from young people, but offended a lot of the old guard of the governing LDP. The battle ended in compromise, but firmly established Mr Horie as a reformer.

That is why the Japanese prime minister worked hard to try to sign him up to fight for a seat held by a leading opponent of post office reform.

But Junichiro Koizumi did not manage to get him on the LDP ticket. Mr Horie says he wants to stand as an independent, but the LDP has confirmed it will not put up a candidate against him, so he is being seen as a de facto Koizumi supporter.

It is part of an aggressive strategy by the prime minister to pull in popular figures from business and entertainment to run against anti-reform lawmakers.

Others include a former TV anchorwoman, a former model and a television chef.