Fifty-two Percent Democracy

The cause of asking people’s opinion is still not clear after the election of the House of Representatives. This less legitimate election made voters, mostly independent, stay home, instead exercising their right to participate in politics. As a result, elected candidates represented about a half of eligible voters. Knowing this truth enough, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to introduce the principle of winner takes all in post-election politics.

Final turnout in the election was 52.66%, renewing the lowest record in the history of the House. The former lowest was 59.32% in the election two years ago. Certain amount of voters were frustrated with Abe’s handling of politics, but there was no reliable alternative to Liberal Democratic Party. That was why they rejected expressing their will through their votes.

LDP obtained 48% of effective votes in all 275 districts. This number increased from 43% in the last election. However, the party actually gained only a quarter of all eligible voters. With this proportion of support, LDP will occupy nearly two thirds of all seats in the House. This kind of contradiction may happen under the election system of winner-take-all in each electoral district.

The opposite parties collected 49% of all elective votes, which took over LDP. Without support of Komeito, LDP could not get majority in general voters. The lack of viable strategy of integrated candidates or policy cooperation, opposite parties allowed the leading coalition reinforcing its power in the House, not fulfilling their responsibility of deterring the excessive politics.

So, this is a half democracy controlled by a quarter of the nation. The sharply divisive issues, such as continuing Abenomics, exercising collective self-defense force, amending the Constitution or resuming halted nuclear power plants, can be promoted in favor of LDP. This will increase frustration of the opposite side, making democracy ineffective. Without respect on the minorities, democracy does not work.

Abe has not shown any tolerance for his opposite powers. Saying “no alternative,” he intends to maintain his economy, security and energy policies. With the reflection of the first term, when he tried to make effort to introduce opposite opinions in his policy, Abe rejects to hear the voices inconvenient to him. If he steps into constitutional amendment, which may include changing the status of Article IX, this highly integrated nation will be divided like never before.