Photo/Illutration Yoshihide Suga, then chief Cabinet secretary, reacts to applause from colleagues after he was elected as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Sept. 14, 2020. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Regicide, the custom of killing a king, is widely observed in primitive societies.

In "The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion," Scottish social anthropologist Sir James George Frazer (1854-1941) cited many examples of consecrated kings and high priests being slain the moment they manifested signs of bodily decline.

Because the natural death of a monarch was believed to bring calamity upon society, his family or heir apparent would kill him when severe illness took hold or demise seemed imminent.

Even though the times and circumstances are totally different, the latest upheaval within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party somehow reminds me of regicide.

Popular support for the Cabinet of Yoshihide Suga has been ebbing irrevocably due to the prime minister's repeated mishandling of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

LDP lawmakers started looking for a "new face of the party" when they realized that going into the Lower House election under this floundering leader would seriously jeopardize their own chances of keeping their seats.

Even in Suga's home turf of Kanagawa Prefecture, the LDP's prefectural chapter declared it had no intention whatsoever of relying on Suga in running their campaign.

With all prospects gone of winning the upcoming LDP presidential election, Suga was forced into withdrawing from the race.

But what we must not forget is that only a year ago, this party endorsed Suga by an overwhelming majority without holding any meaningful policy debate.

A "product liability" claim ought to be filed against every LDP lawmaker who brought the Suga administration into being. They need to be held accountable for neglecting to maintain, repair and improve their "product."

Nobody stood up to Suga when he interfered in the Science Council of Japan's personnel affairs, nor when he forcibly went ahead with the Tokyo Olympics.

All they know is to discard their "product" once it has become unpopular. They put someone on a pedestal, only to drag that person down later.

Repeating this fruitless ritual will never elevate the quality of Japanese politics.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 4

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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