JAPANESE politic* ha* entered • new phase he Liberal Democratic Party* (I-DPI lock on power ha more than four decade* aeem* to have been broken. The recent election ju*t did not force Klk hl Miyazawa out of office but It ■battered the grip of LDP on lire politics of the country More than that. It also marked the exit of the old guard, of the LDP from the atogc. Japanese politic* will not be the same again

Breaking the control of the scandal-ridden LDP on the lower house of the Parliament, the opposition parties won aa many as 288 seal* against the 223 .eat. won by the LDP The prospect of a non-LDP givem menl In Japan had sent .hock wawa throughout the world. It* status as an economic super power makes thia one of the most significant political devel opment* In recent year* The break up of the election results Is aa follow*

Liberal Democratic Party : 223 Social Democratic Party ; 70 Japan Renewal Party 55 Democratic Socialist Party : 19 Japan New Party A Saklgakc : 48 Komeito : 51

Japan Communist Party : 15 independent: 30

Total : 511

The LDP is »tlli the largest party but In the wake of Its debacle It might not be able to keep Its unity. In fact. It was

Tsutomu Hata. the front man for the group of LDP defector* who led the revolt agntnst Miyazawa earlier last month Hata's party. Sh1n*«llo (Renewal Party) emerged from the election with 86 scato In the Diet. But th* old guard wa* caught napping. Even after the poor election raaulls were In. the secretary general of LDP Mr Kajiyama wa* smug enough to claim that the Japanese voter* were still keen on the stability of an LDP led government

Political stability. It Is gen erally believed. I* an Important factor in facilitating rapid eco nomte growth It I* certainly true in the case the Japan A long and unbroken record of electoral success by the LDP ensured the continuity of pohtl cal. BOiwmK and social poll cles of Japan In foreign policy the LDP leadership was perfectly content to follow Washington s lead on virtually every critical foreign policy Is sue as long a* the United Stales kept It* markets open to Japan * exports During four decades of the Cold War. Japan was happy to be under the pro tectlve umbrella of the American military might Private enterprise was the driving force for the econongr but the government guided the business community along the chosen lines. In fact the bureaucracy played a crucial role In orchestrating the country s economic miracle. The LDP

politician* created a secure po Btical baas reinstating of farm er*, the construction Industry and the huge business con glomerate* It was, as the Newsweek magazin* described, "all a cozy network of relation •hips In which Western notions of political leadership meant lit tie The arrangement benefited so many of the powerful that no one bothered to reform it.' Some political analysts have de scribed the LDP as a centrist front with many factions led by party stalwart*. There was,

however, hardly any Ideological or policy difference between the factions. They all represented the national consensus on economic and political Issues. The fight among the faction*, to put It bluntly, was for power and office. Over the year* the system had become corrupt Power broker* haggled and bargained behind the acene and the election of the prime minister wa* never open to the rank and file of the party It wa* decided by party elder* and faction leader* in secret caucuses. A series of schndab Involving the top leadership of the party had eroded It* public Image The electoral tosa wa* really a public

protest against the corruption of the leaders The new cnadttkxi of seven parties will have to redeem it* election pledge of cleaning up the politic* of the country

The new Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa atari* with a clean Image A former gover nor of Kumamoto Prefecture In southern Japan, he left the Liberal Democrat* last year to start hl* own party HI* prlncl pal partner* In the coalition ■nd contenders for leadership, Mr Hata and Mr Ozawa are old

LDP member* whose link with the corrupt 'money politics' of the long ruling party make either one of them somewhat less acceptable aa the leader of the coalition. But the problems that Mr Hosokawa, who has no experience of national politics, will face are enormous Aa the New York Times, In an editorial said, "He must hold together a group of parties and personalities ranging from the dovish left to the hawkish right, representing constituencies from organized labour and rice farmer* to big business and urban consumers'. No one knows for cer lain If Hosokawa will be able to meet the challenge Leader of

the Japan Renewal Party Mr Hata admitted the poMfoillty of •train in the coalition. 'Once the new government to launched.' he mM. there could be certain arena where there could be certain debate ' Mr Hata cited defence and taxes a* poaaibie areas of difference and •aid. Taxea are an area where we had very heated dlacuaatona qune recently "

In the light of Japan * Infiu ence tn global economy, the rest of the world Is watching the de-vefopments in Tokyo with keen Interest. The United States aa well as the EEC are deeply Interested In the economic poll des of the new coalition government. Is It going to open up Its domestic market a bit more than what was agreed to by the LDP government? It may be recalled that only recently the 0-7 had agreed to open their mar keto to foreign Imports more freely. Or. to It going to be more nationalistic and Inward look Ing? No one knows for certain because a coalition of seven parties will be subjected to all kinds of pulls in several directions. How Mr Hosokawa will reconcile these conflicting pressures to yet to be seen.

Bangladesh and other developing countries should not expect any dramatic change In the near future The foreign aid programme, as far as one can •ee. will be maintained and supported undisturbed for the time being. Whether the new

government will Increase the quantum of foreign aid or take ■!>■«*■» maaaurre to ^encourage tries, are questtona that wfll be answered with any certainty only wtth the paaaage of time

Mr Hosokawa baa taken oflfee so e AMgHM amite ■ sur^ support and enthuteaam among the people for the new govern ment. Its clean Image 1* It*

But the Japanese people hare an Innate sense of discipline which will no doubt provide a degree of *tab111ty Io the aw-ernment. A former leader of the Soclaltot Party. Ms Takako Doi has been elected a* the Speaker of the Lower House. It seems to be a subtle sign that though the Soclaltot Party has the largest number of members in the coalition, its Influence may be less than what the numbers suggest Meanwhile, the LDP will not sit Idle It has already taken step* to shed It* Image as a corrupt party. It to also trying to bring younger elements Into leadership positions It wfll no doubt fight hard at the next election to regain power. One-party rule for tong 38 years has ended but the shape of Japanese politics to still not clear. It sdll largely depend on how the coalition under the leadership of Mr Hosokawa functions In the coming months and years.