arashitranslation | 17.09.18 News Zero Ichimen - Dissolution of House of Representatives

Why is there “Dissolution of House of Representatives”?

Prime Minister Abe who confirmed his intention to dissolve the House of Representatives
which is with more than one year of term of office.

The dissolution and general election of the House of Representatives is
“to re-elect all the members of the House of Representatives”,
to begin with, what is this for?

First of all, the National Diet is composed of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors,
but only the House of Representatives has the system of dissolution.
There is no system of dissolution for the House of Councillors.

The term of office of the House of Representatives is also short, compared with six years for the House of Councillors, that the one for the House of Representatives is four years.

Furthermore, before the four years of term of office,
dissolution is mostly taken part.

In other words, dissolution and subsequent general election,
as for the policies and issues of the Cabinet at that time,
asking the trust of citizens,
has a purpose of reflecting the latest will of people in politics.

While it is the dissolution with significant meaning to us citizens,
the person who can dissolve the House of Representatives, in fact, is the Prime Minister only.

Therefore, the rights of dissolution is said to be the “sword treasured in the family”.
Resembling the joker card so-to-speak,
for occasions working favorably to himself,
it can also be used as the trump card.

Among the dissolutions taken part in various Cabinets,
thus far various names were offered to them.

For instance, the Yoshida Shigeru Cabinet in 1953.
The name offered to the dissolution was “Bakayaro Dissolution” (Idiot Dissolution).

Then Prime Minister Yoshida commented the opposition party member as bakayaro
and the Diet came into conflict.
After that, the Diet was confronted with mistrust
and was dissolved, and this name was offered.

And the "cause" of the election seeking trust of citizens
will also be used as the name of the dissolution as it is.

For instance in 2005,
Koizumi Cabinet’s “Postal Dissolution” in which he wanted to ask citizen
about their view on privatization of postal services,
and the “Abenomics Dissolution” in 2014
the issue of which was postponement of raising consumption tax to 10%.

And then what is the cause of the dissolution this time?

According to people around Prime Minister, as one of the issues of the election, by raising the consumption tax to 10%,
Prime Minister Abe said that he “intends to turn part of the new tax revenue into
‘investment on education and children’”.

However, Governor Koike expressed doubt that
she “does not understand the justification for this dissolution”.

The Democratic Party’s Representative Maehara is strongly opposing to the dissolution, stating that this is nothing but to protect Prime Minister’s own advantage.

Source: News Zeroイチメン (http://www.ntv.co.jp/zero/ichimen/2017/09/1644-19532005102014110.html)