By Ricky Hough
Local elections in Okinawa deal another blow to the prime minister’s agenda.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears set to dissolve the Lower House and call for a snap-election. Abe’s government has instituted a number of unpopular measures including the State’s Secret Law, a cabinet decision to reinterpret Article 9 to allow for collective self-defense, and an April 2014 increase in the consumption tax from 5 to 8 percent. Additionally, the Abe cabinet has been mired in pubic scandal since his recent cabinet reshuffle in early September. To top things off, Abe’s three-pronged approach to tackling deflation and kick-starting Japan’s stagnate economy have proved less than adequate. The yen is deprecating rapidly but the economy remains sluggish, in large part because of the impact of the 3 percent increase in the consumption tax on consumer spending.
Not surprisingly, with these ill effects, combined with the talk of a snap-election, Abe’s poll numbers have plummeted. Of course, the election – most likely to be held on December 14, according to local press reports – is intended to gauge the public’s opinion of the government’s track record and provide Abe with a new mandate for implementing the second phase of the consumption tax increase from 8 to 10 percent in October 2015. Certainly, Abe is taking a huge political gamble and the risks are high.
Read the full story at The Diplomat