Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the Dec. 14 general elections is meant to seek voters' verdict on his economic policies, including his decision to postpone by 18 months the second round of the consumption tax hike following the increase to 8 percent in April. The major issue in the campaign, he insists, is whether he should carry on with his "Abenomics" policy of fighting deflation through monetary stimulus, aggressive fiscal spending and structural reforms of the economy.
Abe's emphasis on economic issues, however, should not overshadow the steps that his administration has taken in the areas closely related to the nation's principles under the postwar Constitution, such as his Cabinet's decision to enable Japan to engage in collective self-defense — a major departure from the nation's strictly self-restrictive defense posture — as well as the enactment of the state secrets law, which paves the way for classification of a wide range of government information and could restrict the people's right to know, which is an indispensable part of democracy. Voters need to seriously consider the implications of these policies.
Past administrations upheld the position that under the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan cannot exercise the right to collective self-defense or the right to defend its allies under attack when the nation is not being attacked. While engaging in a security alliance with the United States, Japan pursued a policy solely based on "individual self-defense," in which it pledged to use minimum necessary force only when Japan is attacked or when it faces an imminent attack.