National Democratic Party (Akashi)

National Democratic Party 国民民主党 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐍉 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻ᚴ𐌾𐍉
Abbreviation	NDP
Founded	1950
Dissolved	1993
Merged into	United Reform Party
Ideology	Liberal conservatism
Political position	Centre-right
National affiliation	Light blue bloc
Colours	Light blue
Politics of Akashi Political parties

The National Democratic Party (Miranian: 国民民主党 Kokumin minshutō; Gothic: 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐍉 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌼 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻ᚴ𐌾𐍉 Alaþiudō Waldam Dailkjō) was a liberal conservative political party in Akashi.

Founded in 1950, it was a vehicle for moderate conservatives frustrated with the hard right course of the Conservative National Party. It became one of Akashi's main centre-right parties, and a founding member of the light blue bloc. It merged into the United Reform Party in 1993.

History

Early years

The NDP was founded in 1950, by moderate conservatives frustrated with the hardliners of the Conservative National Party, but unconvinced by the vacillating ordoliberalism of the Liberal Party.

For its first two decades, the party struggled against the dominance of the National Union. It participated in the United Opposition electoral alliance of 1962, which failed to unseat Yurika Ehara and led to acrimony over seat divisions. Despite the tensions within the alliance, the NDP's willingness to share a ballot with the Communist Party and Workers' Party attracted attention.

When the Reform Party was established in 1965 by conservative liberals who split from the LP, the NDP immediately built close relations, although a merger of the two parties could not be agreed at the time. They formed a unity list for 1966.

During the Summer of Freedom, the party deplored the violence while acknowledging the protesters' grievances and urging immediate reforms to redress them. It joined Yurikara's national unity government in 1968, its first participation in a national government.

Right battles

The collapse of the NU as a major party in 1972 opened up space for the other parties to advance. However, the right-wing faced several disadvantages: a dispersed vote due to multiple parties, the LP struggling in the role of centre-right standard-bearer, and a fierce enmity with the hardline dark blue bloc, in contrast to the stronger cooperation of the left and centre-left.

The breakthrough occurred after the "kibi-yuru war" left the progressive conservative faction in control of the CNP, repositioning it in the light blue bloc. The NDP joined the centre-right coalition formed after 1982, but its unwieldy size caused rows over allocation of cabinet posts. The CNP's landslide in the "blue wave" of 1986 led it to exit the coalition but provide outside support.

During the consolidation of the light blue bloc in the 1990s, the NDP was in negotiations with the new Moderate People's Party, but could not agree on a merger. Instead, it chose to merge into the United Reform Party in 1993.

Platform

The NDP was a liberal conservative party.

It was somewhat more market-friendly than the ordoliberal LP, but still opposed to laissez-faire economics.

Election results

National Assembly

Election	Party list		Constituency		Seats	+/–	Status
	PR votes	%	STV votes	%
1950	97.895	4,1%			8 / 245	8	Opposition
1954	115.876	4,0%			8 / 200		Opposition
1958	111.700	3,4%			7 / 200	1	Opposition
19621	1.227.100	32,5%			11 / 200	4	Opposition
19662	213.134	5,2%			11 / 200		Opposition (1966–1968)
							Coalition (1968–1970)
1970	296.883	6,2%	201.341	4,2%	9 / 200	2	Opposition
1972	325.376	6,5%	164.820	3,3%	11 / 200	2	Opposition
1974	351.184	6,8%	159.557	3,1%	10 / 200	1	Opposition
1978	304.595	5,5%	166.885	3,0%	10 / 200		Opposition
1980	473.898	8,4%	433.445	7,7%	16 / 200	6	Interim
1982	432.600	7,5%	362.594	6,3%	25 / 400	9	Coalition
1986	220.145	3,7%	202.519	3,4%	13 / 400	12	Outside support (1986–1989)
							Opposition (1989–1990)
1990	264.670	4,2%	151.074	2,4%	11 / 400	2	Opposition

¹ Result for the whole United Opposition, consisting of the Socialist Party, Liberal Party, NDP, Communist Party, Workers' Party, and Social Credit Party.

² Result for the NDP–RP unity list.

Presidency

Election	Candidate	First round		Second round		Result
		Votes	%	Votes	%
1950	No candidate
19551	Tenshin Ōshima	328.695	11,3%			Lost
19601	Hada Hama	393.309	11,1%			Lost
19652	Haruki Yukimura	480.285	12,1%			Lost
1970	No candidate
19753	Eiichi Watanabe	1.331.478	25,5%	2.458.625	49,8%	Lost
1980	Gelvira	491.366	8,7%			Lost
1985	No candidate
1990	No candidate

¹ Jointly endorsed with the Liberal Party.

² Jointly endorsed with the Liberal Party and Reform Party.

³ Jointly endorsed with United Akashi.

Provincial assemblies

Main article: List of Akashian provincial elections

Prefectural assemblies

Main article: List of Akashian prefectural elections