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| New PM cements Japan power shift | New PM cements Japan power shift |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Japan's parliament has elected Yukio Hatoyama prime minister, handing power to an untested government that faces tough economic and social challenges. | Japan's parliament has elected Yukio Hatoyama prime minister, handing power to an untested government that faces tough economic and social challenges. |
| His Democratic Party of Japan won a huge poll victory last month, ending more than 50 years of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party. | His Democratic Party of Japan won a huge poll victory last month, ending more than 50 years of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party. |
| Mr Hatoyama said he was excited by the prospect of changing history. "The battle starts now," he said. | Mr Hatoyama said he was excited by the prospect of changing history. "The battle starts now," he said. |
| The new prime minister announced his cabinet shortly after his confirmation. | |
| He named former DPJ leader Katsuya Okada as foreign minister and Hirohisa Fujii, a veteran bureaucrat, as finance minister. | |
| Another former DPJ leader, Naoto Kan, will head a new National Strategy Bureau set up to oversee the bureaucracy. He also becomes deputy prime minister. | |
| The defeated LDP, meanwhile, will hold an election later this month to choose its new leader, after former Prime Minister Taro Aso stepped down. | The defeated LDP, meanwhile, will hold an election later this month to choose its new leader, after former Prime Minister Taro Aso stepped down. |
| Domestic focus | Domestic focus |
| The DPJ has entered into a coalition deal with two smaller parties, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party, and controls both houses of parliament. | The DPJ has entered into a coalition deal with two smaller parties, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party, and controls both houses of parliament. |
| HATOYAMA GOVERNMENT The DPJ has never held government beforePromises to increase social spending, on health, education and child-careSays it will fund spending by cutting bureaucratic wastePromises climate cuts and better ties with AsiaSays it will seek a more "equal" alliance with the US Will Japan's global ties change? Challenge ahead for Hatoyama Profile: Yukio Hatoyama | HATOYAMA GOVERNMENT The DPJ has never held government beforePromises to increase social spending, on health, education and child-careSays it will fund spending by cutting bureaucratic wastePromises climate cuts and better ties with AsiaSays it will seek a more "equal" alliance with the US Will Japan's global ties change? Challenge ahead for Hatoyama Profile: Yukio Hatoyama |
| Its priorities now include tackling a rapidly ageing society and an economy still struggling after a brutal recession. | Its priorities now include tackling a rapidly ageing society and an economy still struggling after a brutal recession. |
| The party says it will wrest control of policy-making decisions from bureaucrats and deliver more people-centric policies. | The party says it will wrest control of policy-making decisions from bureaucrats and deliver more people-centric policies. |
| It has promised to increase social welfare spending, prioritising areas such as health and education. It has also promised climate cuts and a foreign policy that is less closely tied to the US. | It has promised to increase social welfare spending, prioritising areas such as health and education. It has also promised climate cuts and a foreign policy that is less closely tied to the US. |
| The DPJ was elected as a wave of discontent with LDP rule swept across Japan. | The DPJ was elected as a wave of discontent with LDP rule swept across Japan. |
| Professor Phil Deans, from Temple University in Tokyo, said people had become tired of the old system. | Professor Phil Deans, from Temple University in Tokyo, said people had become tired of the old system. |
| "It was extremely effective in developing Japan into a very rich, very important nation," he said, "but it had reached its limits." | "It was extremely effective in developing Japan into a very rich, very important nation," he said, "but it had reached its limits." |
| Opinion polls have shown many people did not vote for the DPJ because of their policies - but because they wanted change. | Opinion polls have shown many people did not vote for the DPJ because of their policies - but because they wanted change. |
| Analysts say the electorate will be watching the DPJ closely to see if it can deliver. | Analysts say the electorate will be watching the DPJ closely to see if it can deliver. |
| The BBC's Roland Buerk, in Tokyo, says that in defeating the LDP, Yukio Hatoyama has already achieved what many people thought for years was impossible. | The BBC's Roland Buerk, in Tokyo, says that in defeating the LDP, Yukio Hatoyama has already achieved what many people thought for years was impossible. |
| But now the difficult part - governing Japan - begins, our correspondent says. | But now the difficult part - governing Japan - begins, our correspondent says. |