Waning on Amendment

The attitude of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on constitutional amendment is getting weak these weeks. On the amendment of the Article 96, which requires two-third votes of both Houses to propose an amendment, Abe said, “Asked if the national discussion about the amendment was matured, it isn’t.” Behind that, there is a regret about his attitude in his first term when he insisted on his own ideals. But, waning erodes credibility of a leader.

Answering an interview to Yomiuri Shimbun in mid-April, Abe unequivocally stated that he would make the Amendment of the Article 96 a campaign promise of the election in the House of Councillors this summer. He kept on saying, “It is strange that the constitution cannot be amended with a little over one-thirds of legislators’ denial, even if sixty or seventy percent of the people wanted it.” But, it is not strange for developed countries to require the two-thirds votes for constitutional amendment, instead of simple majority.

The biggest reason he began to restrain his appeals was his isolation. In the argument in the Liberal Democratic Party, there emerged an opinion that the amendment of Article 96 was not so important as Article 9 or other issues, and that shifting eyes from those crucial points was not fair. The friend party of the coalition, New Komeito, also criticized Abe’s standpoint to deal only with the Article 96 for the campaign promise. Supporters of Abe’s view consisted a minority group beyond party lines.

The criticisms are mainly based on constitutionalism, which determines the role of constitution as restricting power of government against people. To restrict the government of Japan to exercise excessive power, such as in the time of the World War II, the Constitution of Japan set a hard line for the amendment. Abe did not understand it. He thinks that the government should exercise great power to unite the people, and the people have to obey. This is not the mind of democracy, but autocracy. Knowing this idea as unfit for current regime in Japan, he is concealing his true intention.

What kind of message is he delivering to the voters in coming election? “Ok, I really want to change the provision of the constitution, though, I don’t do that this time. When should it be? I don’t know. It’s up to you guys,” would be the likely message from him. By the way, is that what the leader of Japan will ask the citizens? As long as he possesses evil ambition to destroy democracy in Japan, the amendment will not be achieved.