Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 8 - 14 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Fuwa on BS TV criticizes Abe for disregarding post-war Japan’s principle of popular sovereignty

Former Japanese Communist Party Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo (currently JCP Social Sciences Institute director) on a BS news program aired on July 7 said that with the introduction of the single-seat constituency election system, the Liberal Democratic Party has changed its color by sidestepping popular sovereignty, post-war Japan’s major principle.

Fuwa pointed out that at the time of the existence of the multiple-seat electoral system, the LDP used to show flexibility in rethinking its policies in order to reflect public opinion. He explained that under that system, there were even cases in which a plural number of LDP candidates having various types of conservative positions on issues were elected from one electoral area, which fostered political diversity within the LDP and forced the party to pay attention to public opinion.

Fuwa went on to say that since the single-seat constituency system was introduced in 1994, the LDP has tended to increasingly select those loyal to the party leadership as its candidates and shut its ears to the opinions being expressed by the general public.

He said, “In the 1970s, even though the LDP received support from 49% of voters, it was careful about using its majority force in the Diet. However, the current LDP headed by Abe Shinzo, which obtained only 17% of the total votes in the 2014 general election, is taking a dictatorial stance as if a political party having its parliamentary majority can do anything it wants.”

Criticizing Prime Minister Abe for accusing people opposing his war legislation as ignorant about politics, Fuwa said that he lacks the qualification to be the political leader of Japan where sovereign power still constitutionally resides with the people.