October 29, 2017
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on October 27 ordered a "review" of the allocation of time for interpellation in the Diet, granting the request from Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers asking for an increase in interpellation time allotted for ruling parties.
This move suggests an intent to reduce the time opposition parties may use to demand explanations from parties concerned, including ministers and the prime minister, regarding the "Moritomo Gakuen" and "Kake Gakuen" scandals.
In late September, Abe dissolved the House of Representatives at the very beginning of the extraordinary Diet session to hold a snap election, reportedly as a way to escape from the opposition parties' pursuit of revealing the whole picture behind the two allegations in the scheduled-to-be-held session. After the election, following the LDP triumph, he said to the press that he will "honestly manage the government and will take a more humble attitude than ever before". In the same breath, now he is seeking to cut the opposition parties' question time.
Under the parliamentary cabinet system, policies of the governing party and the Cabinet are basically the same. Therefore, in order to prevent the parliament from being a kind of organ for the ruling force, it is a matter of course that more question time is guaranteed for the opposition camp.
Regarding Abe's motive, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira pointed out that a decrease in the amount of interpellation time allotted for opposition parties is "obviously for the purpose of silencing the voices of the opposition force, which is far from 'a humble attitude' Abe said he would adopt toward the Diet and the general public."
Past related articles:
> Ministers’ 1st press conferences confirm Abe’s intent to cover up scandals through Cabinet shake-up [August 5, 2017]
> PM Abe gets stuck answering questions on ‘Kake’ scandal [July 26, 2017]
> JCP Koike: LDP’s plan to reduce oppositions’ question time is irrational [July 19, 2017]
This move suggests an intent to reduce the time opposition parties may use to demand explanations from parties concerned, including ministers and the prime minister, regarding the "Moritomo Gakuen" and "Kake Gakuen" scandals.
In late September, Abe dissolved the House of Representatives at the very beginning of the extraordinary Diet session to hold a snap election, reportedly as a way to escape from the opposition parties' pursuit of revealing the whole picture behind the two allegations in the scheduled-to-be-held session. After the election, following the LDP triumph, he said to the press that he will "honestly manage the government and will take a more humble attitude than ever before". In the same breath, now he is seeking to cut the opposition parties' question time.
Under the parliamentary cabinet system, policies of the governing party and the Cabinet are basically the same. Therefore, in order to prevent the parliament from being a kind of organ for the ruling force, it is a matter of course that more question time is guaranteed for the opposition camp.
Regarding Abe's motive, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira pointed out that a decrease in the amount of interpellation time allotted for opposition parties is "obviously for the purpose of silencing the voices of the opposition force, which is far from 'a humble attitude' Abe said he would adopt toward the Diet and the general public."
Past related articles:
> Ministers’ 1st press conferences confirm Abe’s intent to cover up scandals through Cabinet shake-up [August 5, 2017]
> PM Abe gets stuck answering questions on ‘Kake’ scandal [July 26, 2017]
> JCP Koike: LDP’s plan to reduce oppositions’ question time is irrational [July 19, 2017]
