Call an election and find out what people want

The central government can't advocate the boosting of local economies while simultaneously ignoring growing public distrust in the government.

In Sunday's Lower House by-election in Yamaguchi Prefecture's No. 2 district, a former Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) lawmaker defeated a Liberal Democratic Party newcomer. I don't mean to talk big, but it's high time the ruling party took steps to discover what the public really wants. If it doesn't, it will lose all its support.

It's been revealed that taxpayer funds intended for road projects were actually spent on massage chairs and taxi coupons for bureaucrats of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism--the ministry where the unsuccessful LDP candidate came from.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare this month began deducting health insurance premiums from the pension benefits of people aged 75 or older, even though it has yet to settle the debacle of 50 million unidentified pension accounts.

How rude for the government to assume elderly citizens don't understand the system. Anyone in their right mind would be outraged.

Meanwhile, the government and ruling coalition on Wednesday plan to push through a bill to reinstate the provisional gasoline tax rate, using their two-thirds majority in the Lower House.

That is an obvious misuse of the majority they were granted by the public three years ago in the Lower House election, which was fought over the postal privatization issue. Perhaps the word "abuse" is a more accurate term to describe this sleight of hand.

Reinstating the higher gas tax rate now, in the middle of Golden Week, when people are driving to their hometowns and holiday destinations, adds another expense to household budgets.

"When a group feels insecure, its majority opinion tends to be wrong."

This insightful observation is attributed to Masayoshi Murayama (1918-2006), who led several of Japan's Antarctic expeditions. The quote comes from "Sennen Goroku" (Thousand-year quotations), published by Shogakukan Inc. Relying on "majority opinion" when driven into a corner is dangerous. In polar regions, it could even be fatal.

Wasted taxes, price hikes on daily necessities and welfare cutbacks add to the burdens on those struggling on the bottom rung of society. A state that treats the socially vulnerable coldly will be rejected by the voters.

The opposition, on the political warpath, relies on its majority in the Upper House--representing last year's public opinion. The ruling and opposition parties will argue forever over which reflects the popular will.

But given today's economic and political climate, it would make more sense to dissolve the Lower House for an election and discover the current state of public opinion.

What will Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda decide as the leader of an expedition whose public approval ratings are sinking to the bottom? Since he's been left grasping the short end of the stick, why not go ahead and call an election?

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 29(IHT/Asahi: April 30,2008)