Ruling parties submit ‘Diet reform’ bill

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Ruling parties submit ‘Diet reform’ bill

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan and its coalition partners on May 14 submitted to the Diet a so-called “Diet reform” bill designed to deteriorate certain functions of the Diet and pave the way for constitutional revision.

The intent of the bill is to abolish the system to summon bureaucrats as unsworn witnesses to the Diet and to prohibit the Cabinet Legislation Bureau director-general from responding to questions in the Diet. These are critical issues concerning the constitutional principles of democracy and peace.

Asked by reporters, Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji said, “We strongly oppose the bill because the content of the bill and the ruling parties’ way of presentation constitute a serious deviation from constitutional principles.”

Kokuta stated, “Under the guise of invigorating Diet deliberations, the real aim of the bill is to weaken Diet power and allow a ruling party to more effectively control the Diet. The elimination of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau Chief’s participation in Diet deliberations will enable a ruling party to change its interpretation of the Constitution in accordance with its own aim for constitutional revision.”

Regarding the issue that the ruling parties forcibly proposed the bill, Kokuta said, “In order to draw up the rules of Diet operations, discussions reaching consensus among all political parties is essential. It is indefensible that the ruling parties unilaterally submitted the bill in defiance of the fact that five opposition parties, including the JCP, on the previous day urged the ruling block not to do so.”

- Akahata, May 15, 2010