Separated Stance of Opposite

Questioning to the policy speech of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe started in the Plenary Meeting of House of Representatives on Monday. This is the opportunity for the opposite parties have been waiting for a long time. However, after bitter separation of Democratic Party and establishment of new parties, the opposite leaders took their time for explaining what they exactly were. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his political agenda.

President of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yukio Edano, strictly opposed Abe’s argument of adding a provision of determining status of Self-defense Force to Constitution of Japan. Edano demanded abolishment of New Security Legislation Abe administration activated last year as deviating from constitutional principle of Exclusively Defense-oriented Policy. “Leaving a situation that contradicts constitutionalism, we cannot discuss constitutional amendment appropriately. Talk about it in compliance with existing constitution. This is a correct argument,” insisted Edano.

Party of Hope did not take firm standpoint on constitution. President Yuichiro Tamaki expressed basic uneasiness to Abe’s argument. “It is not honest to argue the status of Self-defense Force without discussing sphere or condition of self-defense right,” told Tamaki, making no sense. Most leaders of party of Hope approve Abe’s argument of changing Article 9 of Constitution. But, if Tamaki takes that policy, some lawmakers will leave the party. The most dishonest thing, anyway, is that the party follows security policy of Abe administration, overturning their campaign promise of defeating Abe.

Abe was not bothered by those questions. He repeated basic notion that constitutional amendment would be taken initiative by the Diet and decided by national referendum. “Exclusively Defense-oriented Policy is a basic policy of our defense and we will maintain it. Facing severe security situation around our country, I will deal with those difficult issues,” told Abe.

The most uneasy question for Abe was raised by his colleague, Chairman of Policy Research Council of Liberal Democratic Party, Fumio Kishida. Although the opposite leaders did not referred to Moritomo and Kake scandal so much, Kishida demanded Abe further explanation on it, refusing settlement of that political agenda. “As long as the people embrace doubts, it is extremely important for you to sincerely explain about it,” told Kishida. That reflected fundamental concern of LDP lawmakers about declining public support for their party. “I have been accumulating sincere explanation and I will not change that recognition,” said Abe.