April 20, 2009The largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has rejected requests repeatedly made by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a debate between Prime Minister Taro Aso and DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa.
The LDP is aiming to give the public the impression that Ozawa is backing away from a public debate following the arrest and subsequent indictment of a state-paid secretary to him over alleged illegal political donations. The situation has apparently turned out just as the LDP wanted. Ozawa should not escape from such a debate if he intends to remain in his post and compete in the upcoming general election for the House of Representatives as a candidate for prime minister.
Ozawa has been unenthusiastic about a debate between party leaders. During an extraordinary Diet session last autumn, Ozawa only once had a debate with Aso. Party leader debates were held on April 9 last year and May 16 in 2007, both during regular Diet sessions. It can be said that such a debate is not particularly overdue this year. Ozawa will resume a national tour for canvassing this week while putting off a debate with Aso beyond the Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May.
However, it is Ozawa that originally proposed that the Diet should introduce debates between party leaders modeled after those in Britain. Ozawa, then leader of the Liberal Party which later merged with the DPJ, made the proposal on the grounds that politicians, and not bureaucrats, should play a leading role in politics.
Ozawa has declared that he will become prime minister if the DPJ wins the next general election. If he becomes prime minister, he will have to not only hold debates with opposition leaders but also answer questions in Diet sessions on a daily basis. Refusing to have a debate with Aso has raised concern about whether Ozawa will send clear messages to the public if he takes office.
Ozawa has reiterated that his fund-raising organization's receipt of political donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co., for which his top aide has been indicted, is not illegal, and appears to believe prosecutors' investigation into the case was politically motivated and specifically targeted him. At the same time, he is calling for a total ban on political organizations accepting donations from companies and other organizations.
If so, Ozawa should hold open discussions with Aso on a variety of political issues including the subject of political donations. If he continues to avoid that, it is only natural for the public to believe that he does not want Aso to bring up the incident during a debate.
A debate between the leaders of ruling and opposition parties is an opportunity to clearly identify the main issues in the next general election to voters, on top of the issue of money and politics. Even if such a debate is held every week, it cannot be regarded as excessive.
The LDP has regularly replaced the prime minister since the 2005 Lower House election, and changed its policies without calling a general election. Calls are mounting within the LDP for the enactment of a large-scale supplementary budget before Aso dissolves the Lower House.
The DPJ should urge the prime minister to dissolve the Lower House at an early date to see if the public will support an extra budget that requires the spending of a massive amount of taxpayers' money and the issuance of bonds. A debate between party leaders will be a perfect venue where the DPJ can urge the prime minister to do so. Nevertheless, nobody in the party is loudly urging Ozawa to take such action.
The DPJ is on the defensive apparently because a dispute over whether Ozawa should stay on as party leader remains unsettled. It is obvious that Ozawa's remaining in the DPJ's top post is not benefiting the party.
(Mainichi Japan) April 20, 2009
Posts
