Sports and Peace Party

Summary

The Sports and Peace Party (Japanese: スポーツ平和党, romanizedSupōtsu Heiwa Tō) was a political party in Japan run by Antonio Inoki, a pro wrestler and former member of the House of Councillors. He continued to wrestle and promote while serving as a legislator. The party fielded 10 candidates in the 1989 election.[1]

Sports And Peace Party
スポーツ平和党
FounderAntonio Inoki
Founded23 June 1989
Registereduntil 17 July 1998
Dissolved18 June 2006
Headquarters107-0061
5-7 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo (at the time of dissolution)
IdeologySport politics
World peace

Inoki met with Saddam Hussein for the release of prisoners from Iraq before the Gulf War. As is the traditional gift for a visiting head-of-state, Saddam gave Inoki a pair of golden swords. [citation needed]

He served in the Diet until 1995, when he failed to win re-election, after accusations of Yakuza involvement and bribery lead to a decline in his popularity.[citation needed] His party, however, also fielded candidates in 1998.

History edit

The party was formed in 1989 by wrestler Antonio Inoki. In the upper house election of 1989, Inoki was elected as a member of the House of Councillors via the PR Block system. In the 1992 Upper House election, Emoto Mengaki, who was active as a pitcher of the Nankai Hawks and the Hanshin Tigers in the 1970s, ran for the first place in the proportional district name list and was elected to the House of Councillors.

Election results edit

House of Councillors edit

Election Leader Constituency Party list Seats Status
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
1989 Antonio Inoki 993,989 1.77
1 / 50
1 / 252
Opposition
1992 1,375,791 3.03
1 / 50
2 / 252
Opposition
1995 541,894 1.33
1 / 50
1 / 252
Opposition
1998 Iichi Nishime 72,886 0.13
0 / 76
477,284 0.85
0 / 50
0 / 252
Extra-parliamentary opposition

References edit

  1. ^ Sanger, David (July 21, 1989). "Japan's Opposition Tailors Itself to the Mainstream". The New York Times.