Not Insisting on Amendment

Losing momentum for maintaining unilateral power for his political agenda, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would not insist on the schedule for constitutional amendment, which he set earlier this year. Abe realized that his administration was in jeopardy, losing high popularity caused by his arrogant handling of politics. His face without self-confidence reminds of the time right before stepping down as Prime Minister in his first administration a decade ago.

In his press conference after reshuffling of his Cabinet on Thursday, Abe apologized on his handling of politics related to Kake Gakuen scandal, in which he was suspected to be involved in a decision of choosing the corporation run by his old friend for new veterinary school, or concealing a diary of Ground Self-defense Force on their peace-keeping operation in Juba, South Sudan. Expressing his deep apology to the people, he bowed down his head in front of TV camera for ten seconds.

On the schedule of constitutional amendment, which he set the time for activating new constitution at 2020, he reiterated that it would depend on the effort of the Diet members. “We need to think how the Constitution should be in the changes of international relations or people’s life in seventy years after activation of it,” said Abe. In an interview of Japan Broadcasting Corporation, or NHK, after the press conference, Abe unequivocally announced that the schedule was not the first priority and he would leave the discussion to the Diet or Liberal Democratic Party.

As far as seeing the faces of Ministers of new Abe Cabinet or board members of LDP, there are a few people who are conservative enough for accelerating constitutional amendment. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Taro Kono, or Minister of Defense, Itsunori Onodera, is known as a dovish politician, not expected to lead the discussion for constitutional amendment. Chairman of LDP Policy Research Council, Fumio Kishida, has openly been reluctant to change Article 9. President of the coalition partner, Komeito, Natsuo Yamaguchi, has been saying that constitutional amendment is not the job of Prime Minister. It is obvious that Abe lost momentum for the amendment after unilateral handling of scandals around him.

What was the most shocking for Abe must be losing support for his administration. The supporting rate for Abe Cabinet declined to the level lower than 30% after the scandals. While the people realize that the scandals are rooted on Abe himself, he still tries to persuade the public that those things have been done by his staffs and he is not responsible for it. It is not the matter of constitutional amendment, but fate of Abe administration.