Japan Press Weekly

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2014 April 2 - 8 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Several lawmakers abstain on vote on nuclear power pacts

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on April 4 at a news conference portrayed a walkout by several lawmakers before the vote on atomic energy agreements in the day’s Diet session as a blatant inconsistency between a “nuclear-free Japan” and a “nuclear-exporting Japan”.

The House of Representatives plenary session earlier on the same day approved the two pacts enabling Japan to export nuclear power plants to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the majority vote of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party, and the Democratic Party of Japan. The JCP voted against endorsing the two deals.

The LDP and the Komei Party promised a society not dependent on nuclear energy and zero-nuclear power, respectively, during their election campaigns. The DPJ promoted Japan’s exports of nuclear power plants when it was in power but has a policy of nuclear free.

Kan Naoto (former Prime Minister) of the DPJ was absent from the meeting. Two representatives of the DPJ and one LDP lawmaker walked out of the Lower House chamber prior to the vote.

Regarding the acts of these Dietmembers, irrespective of their political affiliation, Shii said, “Even for the ruling parties, it constitutes an unreasonable position to support Japan’s exports of nuclear plants.”

Past related articles:
>Abe cabinet helps to export Japan’s nuclear power technology abroad [May 13, 2013]
> Exporting nuclear power plants ignores Fukushima crisis [May 8, 2013]