Japan Press Weekly

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2016 November 2 - 8 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Citizens & opposition parties protest forced passage of TPP-related bills

Amid a storm of public protest, the ruling coalition on November 5 railroaded the bills relevant to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact through the Lower House Special Committee on the TPP.

Following the “vote” in the committee meeting, the representatives of the four opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, held a joint press conference in the Diet building. JCP Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji noted that the Parliament has only just begun discussing the measures. He called for the continuation of careful deliberations and the resignation of Agriculture Minister Yamamoto Yuji, who had previously hinted at forced passage.

Outside the Diet building, many citizens staged protest actions throughout the day.

At a rally, Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) Secretary General Uchida Shoko said, “The steamrolling through of the bills denies democracy. Let’s work to block the ratification in collaboration with people of other countries that are considering participating in the TPP.”

Sakaguchi Masaaki, secretary general of the National Campaign for the Defense of the People’s Food and Health (Shokkenren), said, “The governing parties’ act shows that they feel cornered. Let’s continue to work together to kill the bills.”

JCP member of the House of Representatives Hatayama Kazuya and a lawmaker of the Democratic Party gave speeches in solidarity.

The protesters chanted, “We don’t allow the railroading!” “Resign, Yamamoto!” “Step down, PM Abe!”

Past related article:
> Agriculture Minister’s ‘forcible passage of TPP’ remark denies Diet role [October 20, 2016]