Former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, was gunned down at an event in his country on 8 July. Abe, who was assassinated while giving a speech, died in the hospital. The official funeral for Abe on September 27 sparked a crisis in the country. The fact that all the expenses of the ceremony will be covered by the state budget drew the reaction of the opposition.
FUNERAL CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 27
Details of the official funeral ceremony planned for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead during his election speech, have become clear. The Japanese government announced that the final farewell to Abe will take place on September 27 at the Budokan indoor gym in Tokyo. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said in a statement after the cabinet meeting where the decision was taken, emphasizing Abe’s symbolic importance in the political scene, saying, “As the country’s longest-serving prime minister, Abe has demonstrated leadership skills unlike any other and has overcome a number of serious domestic and international issues. We made this decision because he took on heavy responsibilities to come here.”
Matsuno, who said that a secretariat was established within the government for the preparations of the ceremony, to which foreign statesmen will also be invited, added that the entire expenses of the ceremony will be covered by the state budget and a modest ceremony will be held.
CEREMONY CAUSED CRISIS, REACTION FROM OPPOSITORS
The fact that the expenses of Abe’s official funeral will be covered entirely from the state budget caused the opposition of the opposition. Opposition parties drew attention to the fact that there is no constitutional provision requiring an official ceremony for former prime ministers, while comments were made on social media that the public was divided over Abe’s political legacy, achievements and scandals, so the decision should be discussed in the parliament. Mizuho Fukushima, the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, who spoke at the protest in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office with the participation of about 400 people, described the decision as “a clear violation of the freedom of thought and conscience protected by the Constitution”. Reminding that an official funeral was not held for Former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato because it had no legal basis, Fukushima stated that it was not right for the cabinet to make such a decision for Abe.
THE SECOND TIME IN MODERN JAPAN HISTORY
The only official funeral for a former prime minister in modern Japan’s history was for Shigeru Yoshida, who was prime minister during the post-World War II transitional period. The funeral of another former Japanese Prime Minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone, was jointly organized by the cabinet and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 2020. It was publicized that the government had undertaken the cost of 698,000 dollars, which is half of the cost of the ceremony.
Source: UAV