Quarrel or Divorce

Suffering from going-my-way prime minister, New Komeito, the coalition partner of the administration led by Shinzo Abe, is in an uncomfortable situation without any opportunity of appealing the benefit of supporting Abe. Abe’s conservative policies has unpleasantly been accepted Komeito’s religious supporters group, Soka Gakkai. Even if it has not be seen as reaching a tipping point of stepping out of coalition, Komeito is taking longer distance from this right-leaning administration.

In his question to Abe in the plenary session of the House of Councillors on Thursday, Natsuo Yamaguchi, the Chief Representative of New Komeito, requested deep consideration in the reform of board of educations. “I cannot help concern whether they can be maintaining political neutrality,” he said. Yamaguchi also asked Abe to reconsider his conviction to include moral education in official curriculum, because it would be planting specific and biased values from teacher to students.

Every city and prefectural government has its own board of education to oversee public schools for the first to twelfth graders. Urged by ultra right Japan Restoration Party, Abe administration is trying to start reform of board of education, in which the authority of oversight will be transferred from the board to mayor or governor. Soka Gakkai is firmly opposing the idea as violation of political authority into independence of education. JRP and Abe is considering introduction of patriotism in public education.

New Komeito has highly been frustrated by right-wing policies of Abe. On collective self-defense, the party has been showing its reluctance to cooperate with passing legislation in the Diet. Yamaguchi also stressed importance of three principles for restrictions of weapons export in his question, contemplating them as necessary for restraint of military contribution in overseas.

It is still unclear whether those criticisms against Abe will lead to the end of the coalition. JRP has been intimidating New Komeito to leave the coalition, if it would not follow Abe’s conservative policies. It is just like a story, in which a wife has been demanded to divorce by her husband’s girl friend. While New Komeito is trying to persuade Abe to stay home, he does not stop looking at JRP. There is a speculation that New Komeito will have to decide sooner or later.

For Abe, the coalition partner is not more than a tool for pretending his administration to be stable and open to other political groups. Even if New Komeito indicates stepping out, Abe will not mind it and go his own way. However, most people will then see Abe as cold and cruel, making his popularity lower.