Japan Press Weekly

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2015 October 7 - 13 [POLITICS]

Local lawmakers in Abe’s hometown launch league to protect constitutionalism

In Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s hometown of Yamaguchi, two Japanese Communist Party members and six other members of the prefectural assembly recently established a league for constitutionalism which they say Abe is undermining.

The assemblypersons of the JCP, Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, and one local party on October 9 held a press conference at the prefectural government office building to announce the league’s establishment.

DPJ Nishijima Yusaku, who heads the league, said that the prime minister is posing threats to the rule of law, by overturning a long-held interpretation of the Constitution and bulldozing through the war legislation that many legal experts believe is unconstitutional. Under such a situation, he went on to say, the eight assemblymembers decided to set up the league to learn more about constitutionalism and to take actions to stop the adverse move.

Kisaki Daisuke (JCP), the league’s vice head, stressed that it is significant that such a group was formed in the prime minister’s hometown. He said he suspects that some members of the ruling party may also consider the forcible enactment of the war legislation as a threat to the survival of constitutionalism.

Another vice head, Sasaki Akemi (SDP) expressed her anxiety about the fact that many prefectural assemblymembers have nothing critical to say about the national government’s runaway policies that go against constitutionalism. She said that the league members will work together to raise public awareness of this issue.

The league members plan to hold study meetings together with citizens.