 LDP, Komei to submit a referendum bill to pave the way for constitutional revisions In a move to stimulate discussion on constitutional revision, the ruling parties have decided to submit to the ordinary session of the Diet next year a bill to establish the procedure for a national referendum. On November 30, the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties completed an outline for the bill to hold a national referendum, in which every citizen 20 or older has the right to vote. The present Constitution requires a "majority" support in a referendum to approve constitutional revisions, but does not specify whether the majority means a "majority of all voters" or a "majority of the valid vote". The two parties have defined it as a "majority of the valid vote" in the outline of the bill apparently in order to lower the legal hurdles for constitutional revision. They also agreed to submit a bill to revise the Diet Law in a bid to enable the Research Commission on the Constitution in both chambers, which currently have no right to discuss any bill on the Constitution, to discuss the national referendum bill. (end) |