As Diet deliberations go into full swing, it is imperative for the opposition forces to grill Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on important issues that he only perfunctory touched on or did not mention at all in his policy speech at the outset of the current extraordinary Diet session which started Sept. 29. Abe avoided delving into controversial topics in an apparent attempt to avoid public criticism.
In particular the opposition should focus on the July 1 Cabinet decision to change the long-standing government interpretation of the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 to allow Japan to carry out military missions abroad under collective self-defense and whether the Abe administration will raise the consumption tax rate from the current 8 percent to 10 percent in October 2015. The opposition should make serious efforts to expose Abe's sly tactics and missteps, and compel him to clarify questionable points in relation to these and other vital issues, such as problems related to the state secrets law, which goes into force in December.
In his policy speech, Abe skipped mentioning the July 1 Cabinet decision and instead said, "Japan will make even greater contributions than ever to world peace and stability, working hand-in-hand with the United States and other countries with which we share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. On that basis, we will resolutely secure the lives and the peaceful daily lives of the people under any circumstances. Grounded in that determination, we will move forward in our preparations to develop seamless security legislation."