Other parties express opinions on contingency bills

Before the contingency-related bills were put to vote in the House of Representatives on May 15, representatives of political parties took the floor.

Speaking in favor of the bills, Liberal Democratic Party representative Nakatani Gen said: "The bills before us are absolutely necessary because they are aimed at preparing the way for our nation to exercise the right to self-defense." He also said that the bills are "for the sake of the security of the nation and the people." He said the LDP-Democratic Party agreement on amendments was "necessary for obtaining public support while maintaining the basic ideas and framework set out by the government."

The Komei Party did not participate in the full Lower House discussion. At the Lower House special committee meeting on the previous day, its representative Tabata Masahiro spoke in favor of the bills,saying, "No time must be spared" in the effort to establish the contingency laws. He called on the government to establish more laws to deal with emergencies, including one that provides ways to assist the U.S. forces.

Oshima Atsushi spoke on behalf of the Democratic Party in support of the bills. He said that governing and opposition parties should be united on major bills that affect national security and praised his party's contribution to making "major changes" in the government bills concerning human rights protection. All Democratic Party representatives present, except one, voted for the bills in the Lower House Plenary Session.

Hidaka Takeshi of the Liberal Party said his party is in favor of the bills because they include what his party has called for. He commended the Democratic Party for "taking an active part in improving the government bill which had defects."

The Social Democratic Party's Imagawa Masami spoke in opposition to the contingency bills, saying, "These are the worst of the century and destroys the Constitution." He also said legislation of measures to protect the citizens has been put off." (end)