October 05, 2021 20:11 PM
On October 4, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (front row) took a group photo with cabinet officials at the Prime Minister’s residence in Tokyo
According to a report by Japan’s “Yomiuri Shimbun” on October 5, it took only 17 days from the dissolution of the House of Representatives to the holding of the voting. Fumio Kishida surpassed the first Nakasone cabinet in 20 days and became the “fastest” prime minister in Japan’s history to be elected to the House of Representatives. Under the current Japanese constitution, the record is maintained by Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone to dissolve the House of Representatives under the influence of Kakuei Tanaka’s Lockheed case on November 28, 1983, and then vote on December 18, 1983, with an interval of 20 days.
In addition, Japan’s “Asahi Shimbun” reported on October 5 that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s first political decision after taking office was to announce the dissolution of the House of Representatives and start the general election process. Under the “negative legacy” of the long-term regime and the impact of the new crown epidemic, Kishida hopes that the new regime will not be allowed to rush into the election battle to establish an advantageous position from the very beginning of the new regime. Opposition parties put forward a war-like situation with increased criticism.
According to the report, at 9 pm on the 4th, Kishida held the first press conference in his term at the prime minister’s residence.
Kishida repeatedly mentioned the issues that he attaches great importance to, such as the prevention and control of the new crown epidemic, economic policies, and put on a posture of working hard to solve the problem. In particular, the emphasis is to shift the policy focus to growth strategy again, and to realize the “new capitalism” that emphasizes growth and distribution. At the press conference, Kishida said: “If the benefits of economic growth cannot benefit everyone, it will not be able to boost consumption and demand, and it is difficult to expect continued growth in the future. Without distribution, there will be no growth.”
Another more “Kishida color” feature is the emphasis on economic security. Establish the post of Minister of Economic Security, and at the same time strive to formulate the “Economic Security Promotion Law” for the purpose of ensuring the supply of materials and preventing the outflow of technology.
On the other hand, Kishida is ignorant of the “negative legacy” that led to the people’s lack of trust in politics-Mori Friends during the Abe administration, the Kake Gakuen issue, and the “Sakura Viewing Society” incident.
The report pointed out that in fact, Kishida had already stated his position during the presidential election and believed that there is no need to investigate the issue of tampering with the official documents of the Ministry of Finance surrounding Moriyu Academy.
According to the analysis of the report, the main reason for adopting such a response was the consideration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso. The two have a significant influence on the two largest factions in the party. If they are not taken care of, the smooth operation of the regime may be endangered.
According to reports, as a key figure in helping Kishida win the presidential election, Kam Liming, who has been appointed as the secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, also faces many controversies. In 2016, when he served as the Minister of Economic Regeneration, Gan Liming himself and his former secretary were also exposed as suspected of receiving cash from relevant land developers and resigned as a result.
According to reports, the opposition party has announced that it will form a special team to investigate the above issues. In this context, Kishida has set the election schedule of “public announcement on the 19th and voting on the 31st.” At a press conference on the 4th, Kishida said that the blank period for members of the House of Representatives must be shortened as much as possible. The operation of holding a general election 28 days after the new regime came to power is also called a “surprise attack.” A former cabinet official explained the purpose of Kishida’s doing this: “Once the election campaign kicks off, it will not be an issue at the level of’politics and funding’.”
The report pointed out that there are other reasons for the rush to the election. A senior Liberal Democratic Party congressman believes that Kishida hopes to push his head before the support rate has begun to decline. Generally, in the initial stage of the formation of a new cabinet, its own approval rate and the approval rate of the ruling party will rise, which is the so-called “congratulations quote.” Kishida’s strategy is to take advantage of this quote. Relevant experts have warned that the epidemic may return in winter, and all parties also hope to end the general election when the epidemic is relatively stable.
According to sources close to Kishida, work such as formulating a supplementary budget must be completed within the year. Of course, the sooner the election is conducted, the better.
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