Unilateral Use of Power

The House of Representatives was dissolved on Friday. Who did that? It was not Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, but the Emperor. The Constitution of Japan determines that dissolution of the House is one of the Emperor’s acts in matters of state. Those acts are done with the advice and approval of the Cabinet. Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet. That is why Prime Minister is said to have power to dissolve the House. Even so, it is said that the decision this time was an excessive use of his power.

There are only two ways for dissolution of the House of Representatives. One is when the House passes a non-confidence resolution, or rejects a confidence resolution, of the Cabinet. This is called Article 67 dissolution. Another is when the Cabinet exercises its power to advice the Emperor to dissolve it. It is Article 7 dissolution. Abe chose Article 7 as the cause of his decision.

However, Abe still cannot explain the reason why he needed the dissolution now. He told that democracy required hearing people’s voice when it mattered taxation. But no other opposite parties opposed Abe’s decision to delay consumption tax hike. Voters who want to postpone the tax policy will not necessarily vote for Abe. For those who think the taxation should be done without delay have no party to vote for. The election will not work for referendum of taxation.

Abe also appeals that this is a referendum of Abenomics. Eighteen months delay of taxation is to buy time to wait for positive consequences of his economic policy. He is waiting for positive circulation of better balance of corporation budget, higher wages and positive individual consumption. Abe and his colleagues firmly believe that it will arrive soon.

The opposite parties criticize that Abenomics has been collapsed. “As long as Abe only deal with pouring money into big companies,” they say, “it will not be trickled down to the basic level of Japanese economy.” Democratic Party of Japan asserts that the economic policy needs to directly deal with middle class, which has to be thicker and more stable. It is simply a continuing of their former policy, as a matter of fact.

While leading parties, LDP and Komeito, occupy 326 seats in the House, the opposites have 153. Among the opposites, Your Party will be dissolved before the election day. With current reform of the House, the quorum will be reduced from 480 to 475 in this election. Simple majority will be 238. While Abe set the goal of the election at 238 seats or more, the leading parties agreed with the borderline at 266 or more, the number which enable the leading party occupy all the chair persons in committees. It will not be easy for Abe to reach that line.