Not Funny at All

The controversial election has passed over. Newspapers reported the victory of the leading coalition of Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito in the general election of the House of Representatives voted on Sunday. The fact was that the two parties reduced their seats from 326 to 325. However, that narrow margin represented survivability of the coalition. The weak opposites are more responsible for LDP victory.

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, showed his brightest smile through TV footage. “We received thorough credibility from the voters not only for my economic policy, but for my security policy, including exercising collective self-defense right” was his message in his press conference. He believed in himself that the voters gave him freehand in all policy, which was apparently wrong.

Abe’s message of “there is no other way than this” was based on the saying of “there is no alternative” by Margaret Thatcher. But it was not Abe but the voters who had no alternative. Abe asked them whether he should keep his economic agenda, even though its benefit had not been prevalent everywhere in Japan. While he reiterated to convince him, the opposite parties could not show viable economic policy for helping people in hardship. Voters were force to take negative choice.

The priority is on constitutional amendment. Although Abe carefully avoided revealing his intention to take initiative for it, he showed his willingness to make effort to collect enough votes in both Houses. As a result of the election, legislators supportive for the amendment exceeded required two-thirds majority. It is necessary for them to build the same portion of amendment power in the House of Councillors in the election 2016.

Serious was the defeat of the opposite. The top opposite actually increased their seats. Democratic Party of Japan gained 73, adding 11 before the election. In spite of that, the result of the election was too cruel. Party leader, Banri Kaieda, lost his seat, while he had been traveling all over Japan to support his colleagues. The party got back to their routine internal quarrels seeking next leadership, which will drive the party to extermination.

Strangely enough, Japan Communist Party increased their seats from 8 to 23. They asserted that voters had responded to their massage, “This is a match of LDP vs. Communists.” It was not correct. The turnout of voters marked the lowest of 52%, which was preferable for a party with firm supporting organization. Less participants meant crisis of democracy, and the Communists were simply benefited by this crisis.