Next Abe

The Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) suffered a crushing defeat Sunday in the election for the upper house of Parliament. The Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed that he would not step down.(The photo is from the New York Times.)

Here's the excerpt:

The New York Times
TOKYO, Monday, July 30
Toshiyuki Aizawa/Bloomberg News

....The main opposition Democratic Party seized control of the upper house by a landslide, capturing seats not only in cities but also in rural districts that had long been strongholds of the Liberal Democratic Party. The rout was widespread, with household names in the governing party falling one after another before opposition newcomers. It could also stall Tokyo’s moves toward a more assertive foreign policy and active military.

....Using parliamentary majorities he had inherited from his popular predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, Mr. Abe rammed through laws to instill patriotism in schools, elevate the status of Japan’s military and prepare for a referendum on revising the pacifist Constitution. The drubbing was not a rejection of Mr. Abe’s nationalist goals but a notice that they came after the economy and competent leadership in importance.

...The Democratic Party has been critical of Mr. Abe’s tendency to revise Japan’s wartime past and wary of the strengthening of the Japanese military, initiatives that were led by conservatives in Mr. Abe’s party and encouraged by the United States. The opposition opposed the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq.

Mr. Abe seems to be thought that he is hawkish and aggressive. I do not think that he wants to begin fighting with another countries. He is haunted by such a strongly conservative image. And the above article seems to misunderstand the Democratic Party. I know that the parties which are critical of Mr.Abe's conservative-looking policy are mainly the Communist Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party, which are relatively small in size and left-leaning.

The Democratic Party has been said that it is similar with LDP in political position. It is because some members of the Democratic Party come from LDP and its president Mr.Ozawa also comes from LDP.

....Under Japanese law, the lower house of Parliament, which Mr. Abe’s party controls, chooses prime ministers. So a loss in the upper house will not immediately force his resignation.

Mr. Abe’s political standing has suffered through a series of scandals in his administration: his gaffe-prone defense minister was forced to resign this month after making comments apparently justifying the United States’ use of atomic bombs against Japan during World War II. Mr. Abe’s first agricultural minister hanged himself in May, after being accused of corruption.

Mr. Abe’s approval ratings, once higher than 60 percent, plummeted as he appeared out of touch with voters’ anxieties about everyday issues, especially government mishandling of national pension records that could jeopardize the benefits paid in what is a rapidly aging society. Instead, Mr. Abe pursued a nationalist agenda, saying until recently that the election’s main theme was revising Japan’s pacifist Constitution and repeating his trademark, if vague, promise of turning Japan into “a beautiful country.”

In sum, I want to support Mr.Abe and I think he should fulfill his duties. Many Japanese people are also doubtful of the possibility of the Democratic Party. Because it seems to have badly organized statements and lack in coherence; They have a wide variety of members from moderate socialists to conservatives. It is sometimes a good point, but other times a bad point; They are more likely to divide when they face and tackle some important problems of political issues like revising the Constitution of Japan. It will lead to a serious blank in government.

Why did many of them vote the Democratic Party? The reason is clear: They have no other party to vote. Mr. Abe certainly made some mistakes in electing members of his administration. He should have tried to fire them when they had some problems that would fear his political standing.

Many of the Japanese people don't necessarily disagree with Mr.Abe. Some policies which he's pursued seem better: For example, in economic issue, he wants to make everyone happy with the economic recovery by clearing the pension plan and the tax system. Anyway, this is the time when we have to choose to keep an eye on what he will do next. I hope he will do better.