politics

Scandals likely put Abe on defensive as Constitution reform looms

20 Comments
By Noriyuki Suzuki

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Even if Abe calls an election, the odds of the LDP loosing power are slim to none, as the opposition here is too fractured to make any difference.

Abe realizes this, but if he keeps getting pressure from WITHIN the party, the outlook for him continuing as PM will change!

It's going to take the LDP themselves to bring Abe down, but as long as they are in lock-step with Abe, he will continue to rule!

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Regardless of your political persuasion, when it comes to analyzing facts, there can be no denying that Abe(Inc) has been involved in many, many scandals.

These facts are not debatable as to whether they occured or not - the level of influence / involvment may well differ - but that the scandals in of themselves are real is irrefutable.

So with these lingering stains - NHK buddy appointments, Moritomo Gakuen, Kake Gakuen, TEPCO, KEPCO, SDF & defense minister Inada, Japan Post & the recent Casino & Cherry Blossom party to name just some of the major ones - one would expect that the voice of public opinion would become more vocal.

But, strangely enough with all of the negative flak swirling around these scandal facts, Abe just shrugs and deflects or just straight out lies and his popularity never really takes the dive one would expect.

All politicians in modern democracies have to weather storms over perceived or real mistakes, wrongdoings etc and they have to bear the consequences with the ultimate being to lose the next election. And this happens regularly in the Free World.

But in Japan it doesn't. Forget the old hoary - there's no-one else, as there are many many competent people - just that the voting populace is spineless and / or still kow tows to the hierarchial narrative.

Time for a change - but sadly the weight of real scandals in Japan has little bearing on that cause.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

The LDP is hoping to craft a draft revision to the pacifist Constitution this year, even though the ruling and opposition parties have yet to discuss which part of the supreme law should be changed.

so with no debate no discussion and a population against any change in the majority Abe will forge ahead to fulfill his own dreams of a grand urge. Think Mr Abe there are bigger issues to apply yourself to than changing the supreme Law that you seem able to ignor or reinterpretation at will anyway.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

With support ratings falling after the scandals over cherry blossom viewing and casinos emerged, but

The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet rose 6.6 points in the last poll. All the polls show him gaining support.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

sumikonagoyaToday  04:47 pm JST

 I seriously have to wonder if you be saying the same thing, if the polls showed Abe losing support.

I would be saying exactly the same thing if he were losing support but actually doing a good job.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

AlexBecuToday  07:33 am JST

Changing the constitution for Japan to play a bigger role in defense is long overdue.  Even Germany has moved on and is playing a bigger role.

The Germans are competent and scrupulous enough to take on such responsibilities. On the other hand the LDP do a terrible job of running Japan. If they're in charge if a war breaks out they'll get the county nuked or invaded.

Another determinant is the future of the fractured opposition. Were opposition parties to join forces, this would prevent the anti-administration vote from splitting.

Eyes are now on whether the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People can pull off their merger. The clock is ticking after CDPJ leader Yukio Edano hinted at ending the talks on Monday if the parties do not reach agreement.

So he should. The big problem is all those right-wingers in the DPP. They should all clear off and let the centrists merge the two parties, or the centre and centre-left DPP members should leave and join the CDPJ. If they think they can all work together and get behind a credible policy platform they're seriously deluded.

2 ( +13 / -11 )

his supporters were found to have been invited to the event, meant to honor people such as athletes and celebrities

Here is Japan in a nutshell, people can't see that throwing taxpayer money at any of these groups is wrong...

2 ( +9 / -7 )

sumikonagoyaToday  09:01 am JST

The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet rose 6.6 points in the last poll. All the polls show him gaining support.

All the polls? I only know of one that said that. I seriously have to wonder who they asked, and if they understood the questions.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

sumikonagoyaJan. 19  04:47 pm JST

"All the polls? I only know of one that said that. I seriously have to wonder who they asked, and if they understood the questions."

NHK, Nikkei, Kyodo, TBS, Yomuri, Tv Tokyo,

Are you sure those news outlets aren't all just reporting on the same Kyodo News poll? This one shows a slide to 40.4% and a rise in the disapproval rate: https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2020011700931/abe-cabinet-approval-rate-little-changed-at-40-4-pct-jiji-poll.html.

It's actually quite hard to find any other polls which show Abe's support doing anything other that falling or staying the same, so that 6.6% increase looks like a bit of an odd blip that there is no explanation for.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Sad when politics and scandals interfere with national needs and objectives.

While it is true that politicians and their reliability and confidence is determined by personal attibutes ansd actions, scandals by individuals do not necessarily "reflect" the entire administration or the character and performance by others. Often the party or the leader of the party is "blamed" and put into doubt only because of the performance by one of those he/she had selected into the administration.

The "problem" is with that individual.

The problem also is that the opposing politicians, the media, the political pundits, and many in the general population "assume" and "presume" (opine) that all leaders who selected chose his/her administration "knew" of or could "predict" any scandals among his group and still included that person.

The effort by all should be and must be to help clean up such problems and not distract, handicap and destroy what is really needed and is happening within the society and the country which the leader and the administration is and may be trying to address.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is common sense that a list that long can disappear means there is something abe had to hide. Just produce that list and the scandal will disappear. Simple.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My biggest problem is the additional changes he lusts for, Shinto returned as the national religion, subjugation of individual rights. The state being the sole arbitrator of the individual, children and wives classified as property. He and Nippon Kaigi want to return Japan to a "Happy Time". That worked out well. Article 9 is just the foot in the door. I'm still waiting for Abe to get the publics understanding on this and many other issues.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

CrickyToday  10:23 am JST

My biggest problem is the additional changes he lusts for, Shinto returned as the national religion, subjugation of individual rights. The state being the sole arbitrator of the individual, children and wives classified as property. He and Nippon Kaigi want to return Japan to a "Happy Time". That worked out well. Article 9 is just the foot in the door. I'm still waiting for Abe to get the publics understanding on this and many other issues.

I think he would be happy if he only got the understanding of like-minded right-wingers, and even happier if they were the only ones who knew there was going to be a referendum on his "Happy Time" plans. As it is, elderly nazis in the boondocks probably are the only people who will be bothered to vote. The LDP don't want high voter turn-outs.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

All the polls? I only know of one that said that. I seriously have to wonder who they asked, and if they understood the questions.

NHK, Nikkei, Kyodo, TBS, Yomuri, Tv Tokyo,

" I seriously have to wonder who they asked, and if they understood the questions."

 I seriously have to wonder if you be saying the same thing, if the polls showed Abe losing support.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Sorry excuse for a democracy if I've ever seen one. In normal democracies, scandal ridden leadership stands down in disgrace.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

All PM Abe wishes to do is change ONE paragraph of Article 9. The purpose being, to protect Japan from massive and growing threats in the region. It is unfair that Japan cannot legallly have an Army, Navy or Air Force to defend herself or her Allies if they come under attack. Why is this so hard for some people to understand?

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

Prime Minister Abe has made several mistakes like signing the 2015 comfort woman deal which back fired horribly in 2018. Relations only got worse.

Changing the constitution for Japan to play a bigger role in defense is long overdue. Even Germany has moved on and is playing a bigger role.

-7 ( +11 / -18 )

I’m glad to not have to see his snicker. It really sickened me. Let him fight hard for his dreams, maybe he’ll have to compromise a bit.

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

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