Abe Administration Stalls

It became the greatest quake for Shinzo Abe administration since beginning of the second term. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yuko Obuchi, stepped down as taking responsibility of inappropriate management of political money on Monday. A few hours later, Minister of Justice, Midori Matsushima, submitted her letter of resignation to Abe. She had been accused of her distribution of fans in her summer rallies. It was the first time since 1993 that two ministers simultaneously resigned. Legend of this teflon administration came to an end.

Suspect vested on two ministers was the same; illegal donation of politician to supporter. Obuchi’s supporters’ organization was doubted to have given accommodative compensation for the participants in watching kabuki show in Tokyo. Matsushima has distributed fans, on which hear name, picture and policies appeared, to the participants of summer rally in Tokyo.

The reason why the both ministers resigned was not about their failure in political activities, but in helping Prime Minister. While Obuchi admitted her inability of explaining the account management, Matsushima rejected recognizing the illegality of her activity. Matsushima reportedly insisted on her job, before Abe decided to demand her resignation.

The most damaged was not one of the two ministers, but Prime Minister. Abe told his aide that it had not been a problem with resignation, if they happened as single scandal of each. There was a chain reaction behind the scene. Matsushima’s activity was relatively minor in terms of amount of related money. But it would be serious problem, if she had been indicted as Minister of Justice, because the post was the top of prosecutors. It was intolerable for the bureaucrats to let their boss indicted.

Then, Obuchi’s scandal was too great in terms of the amount of money to be ignored. In the tradition of demanding the highest ethics to politicians in Japan, Abe could not leave those negative elements in his administration. He thought the resignations of both ministers needed to be at one time to reduce the impact. Some of his aides praised the damage control as a lesson of the first Abe administration, in which five ministers had resigned in a year.

However, Abe looked like disappointed. “It was my responsibility to have picked them. I apologize to the people,” said Abe in his press gaggle. While he will try to regain power for his agenda, it is possible that negative elements will keep on appearing in this fall. The opposite parties are targeting another money scandal of Minister of Defense. Consumption tax hike has another negative impact. Abduction issue has no positive progress so far. The administration looks like sinking in a quagmire.