Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, has declared his bid for the party's presidential election in September. It is hoped that Ishiba will have a vigorous debate with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by clarifying his policy differences with Abe.
At a press conference to announce his candidacy, Ishiba said, "We must redraw a blueprint for Japan," citing the population decline and various disparities as among the issues faced by the nation.
Ishiba is expected to be in a de facto two-horse race with Abe, who will seek a third consecutive term as the party's leader.
With support from five of the seven intraparty factions, Abe has the upper hand over Ishiba in terms of votes from Diet members. Ishiba's decision to fully launch his election campaign before Abe does apparently aims at finding ways to garner votes from rank-and-file party members.
It is significant that the prime minister and a candidate who could replace him will debate policies. An incumbent prime minister will be challenged for the first time since the 2003 LDP presidential election.
With regard to the management of the Abe Cabinet, what are the problems and how should they be fixed? It is important for Ishiba to put forth his opinions and elicit views from the prime minister. Constructive discussions will help improve the policies of the LDP, the main ruling party.
While praising the prime minister's Abenomics economic policy package, Ishiba stressed at the press conference, "We should not put off tackling the challenges."
As a focused policy measure, Ishiba cited the promotion of regional revitalization with respect for the independence of regions. His position makes it hard to discern how the nation's economy will develop as a whole. He should present concrete views on what financial and fiscal policies should be like.
Abe's accountability urged
Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Ishiba has pointed out the need to squarely face the threat from North Korea and strengthen Japan's defense capabilities and the protection of the people.
It is essential to deepen discussions also on how to realize the denuclearization of North Korea in cooperation with the United States and South Korea.
The amending of the Constitution is also a point of contention. The LDP has compiled a plan that stipulates the legal basis for the Self-Defense Forces while retaining Paragraph 2 of Article 9, which prohibits the nation from possessing war potential.
Unproductive debate over whether the SDF constitutes "war potential" is set to continue.
Ishiba has asserted that the SDF should be regarded as a military by deleting Paragraph 2. That would remove the ambiguity, but could be interpreted as a complete change in the nation's defense policy.
It is crucial to openly debate the significance and problems of the two ideas and lead such efforts to gain public understanding.
At his press conference, Ishiba expressed his intention to pursue "honest and fair politics." He said he will draw up a 100-day plan to restore public trust in politics and the administration of government. He appears to have in mind the series of scandals involving the Abe Cabinet.
There has been criticism that the Abe administration has been arrogant and lax due to its long-running rule. In the LDP leadership race, the prime minister needs to explain what political stance he will take to manage his administration.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 11, 2018)
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