Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 31 - August 13 [JCP]

JCP now holds at least one seat in all Upper House Standing Committees

The Japanese Communist Party on July 31 made sure that it will secure at least one seat in all the eleven Standing Committees of the Upper House following the party’s advance in the latest election.

The party will also be able to send two Dietmembers each to the Committees on Budget, Audit, and the Constitution.

Five Standing Committees, including one on Foreign Affairs and Defense, had been meeting without the presence of the JCP, but the party will be able to participate in all the Committees and the length of its allotted question time will considerably increase as well.

With the JCP holding eleven seats in the Upper House, the party again has the right to submit bills, making it possible to push forward the interests of the general public in national policies.

Up to 2004 when the JCP had the right to submit bills, the party frequently put forth various bills such as bills to eradicate overtime work without pay, regulate dismissals, revise the nursing-care insurance law for the better, prohibit political donations from corporations and organizations, abolish the system of government subsidies to political parties, and grant local suffrage for foreigners with permanent residence status.

In cooperation with popular movements, the JCP made its strong presence felt in the Diet and succeeded in making employers pay a total of 193.2 billion yen in back pay to employees over the last eleven years.