Election Caravans Start

Expecting victory in coming election, party leaders embarked on their campaign trip this week. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stresses success of his economic policy called Abenomics, hiding important issues like constitutional amendment behind. The opposite parties criticize that Abe is twisting Constitution of Japan through unilateral interpretation. Discussion goes on until the voting day, July 10^th.

Abe started the caravan from Yamanashi, where Liberal Democratic Party had often been losing the seat in elections of House of Councillors. Raising some achievements in economy, Abe harshly denounced the opposite parties as having no plan in economy. “We cannot leave the future of Japan to such irresponsible party as Democratic Party or Japan Communist Party,” yelled Abe in his speech to the public.

It is the third time for Abe to ask people’s judgment on Abenimics. In previous elections of both Houses, Abe managed to get a victory by requiring approval for his handling of economy. But, what he did after the victory was something different. After the election of House of Councillors in 2013, Abe started legislating designated secrecy law, which was highly controversial as violating freedom of press. It was after the general election of House of Representatives in 2014 when Abe cabinet submitted the bills of new security legislation.

Abe emphasized that Abenomics was still on its way and he needed to accelerate it. But, it is unclear whether he will turn down his decision of postponing consumption tax increase, if he loses in the election. Leaving important talking points unclear, Abe keeps on offending the opposite parties. “Do we promote current economic policy for further growth or get back to dark era we have seen four years ago?” reiterated Abe.

The opposite parties are serious about the significance of this election. President of Democratic Party, Katsuya Okada, told that this election would be the most important in post-war era. “What he wants to do the most is Article 9. He wants to exercise not only limited but full-fledged collective self-defense. We never approve castrating our pacifism,” appealed Okada in his kick-off speech in Funabashi, Chiba. Chairman of JCP, Kazuo Shii, argued that the greatest issue for the election must be the draft of constitutional amendment by LDP.

Abe ignores those provocations, not touching constitution in his speeches. In the campaign platform of LDP, constitutional amendment was described in a small part, which required broad discussion for building national consensus. It is likely that Abe will defrost constitutional amendment after winning the victory in the election.