May 22, 2013

The Lower House on May 21 unanimously passed a bill to enfranchise adult wards and sent it to the Upper House.

The bill is to abolish the Public Offices Election Act’s provision that adults under the protection of their guardians be disfranchised. The amendment was jointly proposed by all political parties in the Diet after the Tokyo District Court in March ruled that depriving adult wards of their voting rights is unconstitutional.

At a meeting of the House of Representatives committee on the election system held before taking a ballot, Japanese Communist Party Shiokawa Tetsuya stated that the bill should be approved without delay so that adult wards will be able to cast their votes in the Upper House election slated for July.

Another JCP member Sasaki Kensho at the same meeting said, “Voting is a fundamental right that should be equally guaranteed to all citizens.”

Sasaki pointed out that the number of polling stations has been reduced by around 4,000 since 1996 and many voters have difficulties getting to polling stations. He demanded that the government take measures to improve accessibility to the polling stations and to provide barrier-free facilities, such as installing writing tables designed for people in wheelchairs.

The JCP lawmaker stressed that securing the voting right of disabled persons should be taken into account. He cited an example of efforts made in Hiroshima Prefecture. When a person with an emotional handicap comes to vote, poll staff secure enough time for the person to get used to the atmosphere there before casting their vote.

In response to Sasaki, an internal affairs ministry official in charge of election administration said, “It is important to use a variety of means to encourage as many eligible voters as possible to express their political will. We will instruct local election administration commissions to do so.”

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The amendment bill was passed through the House of Councilors and enacted on May 27.

“The right of voting is granted to all adult citizens. It is only a matter of course,” stressed Nagoya Seikichi, whose daughter is an adult ward.

His daughter, Takumi, in February 2011 filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court demanding her voting rights. The father said, “When we decided to take the case to court, we were determined to fight not only for Takumi but also for all 136,000 adult wards who have been unjustly deprived of their right to vote.”

The Tokyo District Court in March this year acknowledged that the provision of the Public Offices Election Act to be “unconstitutional and invalid”. This ruling triggered the revision of the act.

Seikichi said, “Thanks to various Dietmembers, including JCP Upper House member Inoue Satoshi, the move to revise the act got a boost after the ruling. I really appreciate the support we received.”