Analysts also noted that the stock market appeared to be responding to a sense of political drift in Japan.

With Saddam now gone, there are no more excuses for the political drift there.

A set of recent local elections, including one here, have brought this sense of political drift into focus.

Ms. Isaacs added that "liberals in the country are very uneasy" with the nation's political drift.

For all the entertaining confrontation, the past year's political drift suggests that the party will keep its estates well in hand.

"It's very simple," he said today, when asked about his political drift to the right since the election.

Others, like the political drift of an aging society, are open for debate.

He points to recent ethical problems and a sense of political drift.

"There's a political drift away from pushing ahead hard and opening the market."

Newspapers are comparing the country's political drift and economic malaise to Japan's.