Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO1296
2009-06-10 01:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - EU PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION AND
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UNCLAS TOKYO 001296
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - EU PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION AND
IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
UNCLAS TOKYO 001296
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - EU PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION AND
IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
1. LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Sankei gave top play to the
finding by intelligence authorities that DPRK leader Kim Jong Il's
third son Jong Un has been given a post within the country's
National Defense Commission, which is defined by the Constitution as
"the highest guiding organ of the military and the managing organ of
military affairs."
2. "Concern about Setback in Unification Efforts" On the recent
European Union parliamentary elections, in which voter turnout
recorded a historic low, the liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized
(6/10): "[The low turnout] shows the state of the voters' perception
of themselves as 'European citizens.' The election outcome also
dealt a severe blow to the promotion of further unification.... The
role of the EU is significant, as it is undertaking the
future-oriented task of achieving regional unification based on the
principle of anti-war sentiment in the face of the repeated
emergence of global challenges that cannot be dealt with by a single
state.... Major EU member states and Sweden, which will assume the
chairmanship next month, must regard the election results as a
serious warning [of stalled unification] and demonstrate their
accountability and leadership to European citizens."
3. "Voters to Evaluate Hard-line Foreign Policy" On the upcoming
Iranian presidential race, in which incumbent President Ahmadinejad
is expected to clash head-on with former Prime Minister Mousavi, a
correspondent for the
top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote from Tehran (6/10): "While a
prevailing view holds that there is not much difference between the
policies of the two leading candidates on the issues of nuclear
development and relations with the U.S., expectations are high that
a victory by Mousavi will help turn around Iran's tense relations
with the international community overnight. Given that the
conservative and reformist blocs have been vying for a greater say
for over 10 years with the former calling for the 'maintenance of
Islamic values' and the latter arguing for 'freedom from
oppression,' the upcoming election will be the final round between
the two rival camps. Iran is at a critical crossroads that will
determine the fate of the Iranian Revolution."
ZUMWALT
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - EU PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION AND
IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
1. LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Sankei gave top play to the
finding by intelligence authorities that DPRK leader Kim Jong Il's
third son Jong Un has been given a post within the country's
National Defense Commission, which is defined by the Constitution as
"the highest guiding organ of the military and the managing organ of
military affairs."
2. "Concern about Setback in Unification Efforts" On the recent
European Union parliamentary elections, in which voter turnout
recorded a historic low, the liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized
(6/10): "[The low turnout] shows the state of the voters' perception
of themselves as 'European citizens.' The election outcome also
dealt a severe blow to the promotion of further unification.... The
role of the EU is significant, as it is undertaking the
future-oriented task of achieving regional unification based on the
principle of anti-war sentiment in the face of the repeated
emergence of global challenges that cannot be dealt with by a single
state.... Major EU member states and Sweden, which will assume the
chairmanship next month, must regard the election results as a
serious warning [of stalled unification] and demonstrate their
accountability and leadership to European citizens."
3. "Voters to Evaluate Hard-line Foreign Policy" On the upcoming
Iranian presidential race, in which incumbent President Ahmadinejad
is expected to clash head-on with former Prime Minister Mousavi, a
correspondent for the
top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote from Tehran (6/10): "While a
prevailing view holds that there is not much difference between the
policies of the two leading candidates on the issues of nuclear
development and relations with the U.S., expectations are high that
a victory by Mousavi will help turn around Iran's tense relations
with the international community overnight. Given that the
conservative and reformist blocs have been vying for a greater say
for over 10 years with the former calling for the 'maintenance of
Islamic values' and the latter arguing for 'freedom from
oppression,' the upcoming election will be the final round between
the two rival camps. Iran is at a critical crossroads that will
determine the fate of the Iranian Revolution."
ZUMWALT