Politics in Japan focuses on next general
election of House of Representatives. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reportedly
fixed the schedule of dissolving the House on September 28th,
announcing the election on October 10th and voting on October 22nd.
So, what does he ask the voters in the election? The opposite parties accuse
Abe of lack of cause for dissolving the House.
It is broadly recognized that Prime
Minister has power to dissolve House of Representatives. Article 7 of
Constitution of Japan determines dissolution of the House as one of the
Emperor’s acts in matters of state “with the advice and approval of the
Cabinet.” The Provision is interpreted that head of the Cabinet, Prime
Minister, accordingly has power to advice the Emperor to dissolve the House.
If Prime Minister can arbitrarily fire all
the members of the House, the power is extraordinarily strong. That is why the
decision of dissolution has been thought to be with political cause. Abe is
going to raise consumption tax hike, which is scheduled on October 2019, for
building financial resource for free higher education and revision of social
security system. He told that idea to Chairman of Election Strategy Committee
of Liberal Democratic Party, Ryu Shionoya, on Sunday.
Can consumption tax be a cause of the
dissolution? While consumption tax rate had been scheduled to be raised from 8%
to 10% this April, Abe delayed it to October 2019 with consideration of
negative impact on his administration. The cause of the tax hike had been
improving the fiscal balance that was highly dependent on debt. Now, Abe began
to say that the tax hike would be necessary for the budget of education,
stressing his new political agenda of Human Resource Development.
The opposite parties criticize the dissolution
as causeless. “It is ultimately a strategy for party interest, privatization of
politics and reckless action violating the Constitution,” told Chairman of
Japan Communist Party, Kazuo Shii. Abe Cabinet has been losing its popularity with
scandals of Moritomo and Kake Gakuin. Although the opposite parties demanded convocation
of the Diet based on Article 53 of the Constitution, which require the Cabinet to
do that with request of one fourth of the all members of one of two Houses, Abe
took a strategy to dissolve the House of Representative on the opening day. It sounded
like avoiding inconvenient discussion for the opposites.
New Cabinet organized last month will face reshuffling
without detailed discussion in the Diet. Abe has not shown his attitude to offer
correct answer to the people who are frightened about intimidation of North Korea.
Irresponsible dissolution may be a suitable name for the maneuver.
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