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2016 October 26 - November 1 [POLITICS]

JCP Kokuta criticizes ruling bloc for calling only pro-TPP unsworn witnesses to Diet

Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji on October 26 at a news conference in the Diet building condemned the chair of the Lower House Special Committee on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement for forcibly holding a hearing session of unsworn witnesses on the previous day with only ruling party lawmakers and pro-TPP witnesses attending.

Kokuta noted that the attitude of the ruling parties is extremely undemocratic and high-handed. “It is necessary for lawmakers from both the governing and opposition parties to question unsworn witnesses who are for and against the TPP-related bills. Holding a Diet hearing just for form’s sake is unacceptable,” he said.

Kokuta pointed out that the Diet has just begun discussions on the bills and that problems pertaining to the free trade deal have yet to be discussed. He cited an opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News in September which shows that more than 70% of the respondents call for careful Diet deliberations on the bills. “In response to people’s voices, lawmakers should debate this issue thoroughly,” he stressed.

The JCP parliamentarian also referred to the fact that the special committee’s directors from the ruling and opposition parties agreed in April to intensively deliberate on the TPP’s possible influence on each sector, in addition to holding public hearings and questioning unsworn witnesses. Noting that both runners for U.S. Presidency oppose the multilateral economic accord, Kokuta said, “The Diet has the responsibility to clarify how the TPP will affect people’s livelihoods. Legislators need to discuss the bills thoroughly according to each area such as intellectual property rights and the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clause.”

Past related article:
> JCP Ichida to PM: promotion of TPP and nuclear power generation should be cancelled [September 30, 2016]