May 19, 2011
The House of Councilors on May 18 in its plenary session enacted the rules of its Deliberative Council on the Constitution authorized to examine a draft revision of the Constitution.
The Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party opposed the enactment while the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party, the People’s New Party, and the Sunrise Party of Japan supported it.
In the question session in prior to the enactment, JCP lawmaker Kami Tomoko said that while people are suffering hardships due to the unprecedented Great East Japan Disaster and the ongoing nuclear crisis, what the government should do is to implement measures to relieve victims, restore their lives, and reconstruct disaster-hit areas by utilizing Article 25 of the Constitution guaranteeing the right to live.
Later on the same day, a citizens’ group urgently assembled at the entrance hall of the House of Councilors to protest against the enactment of the rules.
At the rally, JCP member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi said that the Upper House Deliberative Council on the Constitution was established four years ago by the LDP-Komei government under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo as a body researching the Constitution with the purpose of enabling constitutional revision and examining drafts of constitution revision.
Inoue added, “Since the change in government, the council has been dormant. However, for a smooth Diet management in the DPJ-majority-Lower House and the LDP-majority-Upper House, the so-called “twisted Diet”, the DPJ has accepted the demand for the establishment of the rules from the LDP and the Komei.”
The Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party opposed the enactment while the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party, the People’s New Party, and the Sunrise Party of Japan supported it.
In the question session in prior to the enactment, JCP lawmaker Kami Tomoko said that while people are suffering hardships due to the unprecedented Great East Japan Disaster and the ongoing nuclear crisis, what the government should do is to implement measures to relieve victims, restore their lives, and reconstruct disaster-hit areas by utilizing Article 25 of the Constitution guaranteeing the right to live.
Later on the same day, a citizens’ group urgently assembled at the entrance hall of the House of Councilors to protest against the enactment of the rules.
At the rally, JCP member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi said that the Upper House Deliberative Council on the Constitution was established four years ago by the LDP-Komei government under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo as a body researching the Constitution with the purpose of enabling constitutional revision and examining drafts of constitution revision.
Inoue added, “Since the change in government, the council has been dormant. However, for a smooth Diet management in the DPJ-majority-Lower House and the LDP-majority-Upper House, the so-called “twisted Diet”, the DPJ has accepted the demand for the establishment of the rules from the LDP and the Komei.”
