The Diet debates have ushered in the session’s last phase. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seeks a chance zealously to present a bill to revise the Referendum Act to the Diet and to propose the 4^th item of the party’s draft text to revise the constitution. Some people around the prime minister say about holding elections of the two Houses simultaneously to contend for amendment of the constitution. Our task is to prevent the Council to Examine Constitution from operating in order to stop the government’s drives and to work so that constitutional opposition parties can win over 1/3 of the seats in the House of Councilors through the election scheduled in summer.

LET’S INTEGRATE STRUGGLES BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF PARLIAMENT TO PREVENT COUNSIL FROM OPERATING

The annual event of May 3 – a constitution day – this year was attended by over 65 thousands people, which was the biggest in years. Many of the speakers criticized on the podium the LDP’s version of amendment text, especially their 4th item, stressing strong determination of citizens to impede the government’s intention and proposing key tasks of the civic side.

A major mission of struggles lies in actions how broadly we can succeed in organizing campaigns in unity of citizens and opposition parties. The first is to win over one-third of the seats in the House of Councilors in the coming election so that the pro-amendment forces may fail in holding 2/3 of them: to field a jointly supported, unified candidate in every 32 single-seated constituencies. If they gain a seat, they can be added to those lawmakers who were elected in the last Upper House election.

People’s distrust in politics and abstention

Professor Takayama Kanako of Kyoto University, referring to the number of abstention in the 2017 House of Representatives election held in October, told the figure, 44,097,142. She said that this meant a crisis in democracy and that at the same time this result practically supported the Abe government.

One of the opinion researches held at that time by a foundation on public affairs, the Association for Promoting Fair Elections, showed interesting data.

According to the survey, voters were interested in the policies showed below in the numerical order;

(items were chosen freely and redundantly)

(1) healthcare and elderly care   51.12 points

(2) economy-boosting policy      46.2 points

(3) pension programs             45.1 points

(4) childcare and education       34.7 points

(5) consumption tax               30.4 points

(6) constitution amendment       22.3 points

The opinion poll asked about the low voting rate. The reasons were;

(1)        not convinced by the reasons of dissolution of the House  26.2%

(2)        opposition parties were incapable to present counter-policies 19.7%

(3)        ruling parties were supposed to win in the election 17.3%

The replies showed voters’ distrust in the opposition political parties.

People are upset with mounted dissatisfactions in politics today. In total 72.45% of respondents said they were frustrated by politics; among the dispatched workers the rate reached 83.3% and among the part-time employees, 72.3%.

The voting rates by age groups were;

(1) in their 20s    33.85%

(2) in their teens  40.49%

(3) in their 30s    44.75%

Young voters showed high abstention rates. Those of the age group between 18 and in their 20s did not show party affiliation and the abstention rate was as high as 61.6%. The phenomenon clearly demonstrated mistrust in politics, thus leading to abstention.

Bold policies and mass movements

From this perspective a key lies in policies and actions led by constitutional opposition parties. The Abe government destroys three constitutional principles (people’s sovereignty, pacifism and respect of the fundamental human rights), infringing articles to keep up people’s lives. Constitutional opposition parties and civic activists face a critical moment: they should present bold policies to cope with gaps and poverty prevailing in the society and build up mass movements.

Big corporations enjoy an extraordinary amount of wealth in stock and the riches, too. Right taxation measures should be imposed on them. Reduction of the consumption tax to 5% is needed urgently. Military expenditure should be cut massively so that tax money may be spent on healthcare, pensions, the elderly care and employment.

Debates were made in the council on constitution of the House of Representatives to restrict commercial propaganda over the referendum. According to the above-mentioned survey, 62.5% of voters depend on TV resources to get information on politics and elections. Pro-amendment forces enjoy a far more comfortable position without media limitations.

June 4, 2019