Japan Press Weekly

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2012 July 11 - 17 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

JCP argues Osaka’s bill to restrict city workers’ political activities is unconstitutional

Japanese Communist Party member of the Osaka City Assembly Inoue Hiroshi on July 12 criticized an ordinance bill that will impose restrictions on city workers’ personal political activities as being unconstitutional at the special meeting of the assembly.

The bill bans city employees from engaging in a wide range of political activities, for example, attending demonstrations, delivering speeches at political rallies, or taking part in performances with political content, and those who violate the restrictions will face dismissal.

Inoue pointed out that the bill denies the right to freedom of expression and of thought and conscience which the Constitution guarantees. Mayor Hashimoto Toru defiantly retorted, “I can’t understand what you are talking about.”

Inoue stated that municipal workers’ fundamental human rights should be maintained, and pointed out that the bill is unconstitutional.

Although national government workers who engage in political activities are punished according to the National Public Service Law, there has been strong criticism that such a restriction contradicts the Constitution since the enactment of the law in 1947. Therefore, the Local Officials Law, which was instituted in 1950, allows local officials to engage in a little wider range of political activities and has no penal provisions for violations.