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The Prime Minister of Japan (総理大臣 sōri daijin) is the head of government of Japan.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the Emperor after being
designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the
confidence of the House of
Representatives to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Japanese Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State.
Appointment
The Prime Minister is designated by both houses of the Diet, before
the conduct of any other business. For this purpose, each conducts a ballot under the run-off system. If the two houses choose different individuals a joint committee of both houses is appointed
to agree a common candidate. Ultimately, however, if the two houses do not agree within ten days the decision of the House of Representatives is deemed to be
that of the Diet. Theoretically, therefore, the House of Representatives can ensure the appointment of any Prime Minister it
wishes. The Prime Minister must resign if the House of Representatives adopts a motion of no confidence or defeats a vote of confidence, unless the House of Representatives is
dissolved within ten days. The Prime Minister must also resign after every general election to the House of Representatives, even
if they have won a majority in the house. The office of prime minister has by convention usually been occupied by the leader of
the largest party in the Diet, which has usually been the Liberal Democratic Party.
Role
The Prime Minister:
- Chairs meetings of the Cabinet.
- Appoints and dismisses Ministers of State.
- Permits legal action to be taken against Ministers of State.
- Counter-signs, along with the competent minister, all laws and cabinet orders.
Because of the factionalised and consensus-based nature of Japanese politics, the Prime Minister has much less actual power
than the prime ministers of many other nations. His position as
president of the largest party involves negotiation with party faction leaders, and legislation is usually initiated and reviewed
by party committees rather than by the cabinet. Furthermore, substantial power is actually wielded by the civil service, over
which the Prime Minister has little control.
History
The current office of Prime Minister derives from the 1946 Constitution of Japan. However the office also existed under
Japan's pre-war, imperial constitution. Prior to 1946 the Prime Minister was chosen directly by the Emperor, and did not, under the constitution, need to have the support of
the Diet.
See List of Japanese politicians for
a list of Prime Ministers in Japan.
See also
External links
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