Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 30 - December 6 [POLITICS]

Approval of Japan’s export of nuclear power plants postponed

The House of Representatives at its plenary session on December 2 postponed the vote on approval of nuclear energy cooperation agreements singed separately with Jordan, Russia, South Korea, and Vietnam, although the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House earlier endorsed these four pacts.

This shows that the export of nuclear power plants is divisive even among representatives of the Democratic Party of Japan, as well as the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties at a time when the effort to end the Fukushima crisis is still going on, the government accident investigation commission’s report has yet to be compiled, and 65 percent of the general public is opposing nuclear exports.

The Japan-Jordan nuclear cooperation agreement has already been shelved twice. The House has not even deliberated on the other three agreements. Despite this fact, the DPJ, LDP, and Komei were to give the nod to the four agreements after only a 3-hour discussion.

Three LDP lawmakers, during the prior Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, were arguing as if they were in opposition to the nuclear exporting pacts. LDP Akiba Kenya said, “To stop and think is the way for Japan to be responsible because it was Japan which caused a severe nuclear accident and caused other countries trouble.”

Akamatsu Masao, a Komei Party representative, also said in the same committee that exporting nuclear power plants abroad “is being an accomplice to a merchant of death.”

Before the vote on the endorsement of the four agreements, a DPJ senior member reminded each DPJ Dietmember to vote yes. However, some DPJ members walked out of the committee meeting.

Later at the House plenary session, a DPJ representative who was supposed to read out a motion to take a vote on the approval of the four nuclear accords was absent from the session. So, another DPJ parliamentarian hastily substituted for his role to read out the motion.

An LDP Dietman said that he had voted for the nuclear cooperation agreements in the House committee. He claimed that by not approving the agreements immediately, Japan would not be able to participate in bids for nuclear projects in Jordan and Vietnam, and that foreign companies would be awarded instead.

In sharp contrast, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Kasai Akira said to the committee, “The nuclear accident has created 150,000 evacuees. Some city, town, and village municipalities’ very existence is threatened. Radiation decontamination and massive compensation needs have not been met. Once a nuclear accident occurs, it contains great risks different from other kinds of accidents. Japan should take a proper stance and say that it will not export nuclear technology due to its inherent danger.”

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On December 6, the four agreements were approved in the Lower House plenary session after the DPJ and the LDP used their majority force while the JCP, Komei, Your, and Social Democratic parties voted against. Deliberations on these pacts will move to the Upper House.