Japan Press Weekly

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2007 May 9 - 15 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Shii criticizes ruling parties for ignoring public

Commenting on the ramming through of the bill to establish procedures for constitutional revision on May 11 in the House of Councilors Special Research Committee on the Constitution, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo told reporters as follows:

I strongly protest the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties for their flagrant disrespect of the public in terms of both the contents of the bill and the manner in which they conducted the recent series of events.

The discussions in the Diet have revealed how irresponsible the bill is. The submitters of the bill have been unable to answer the basic question: Can the Constitution be revised with an approval of only 10-20 percent of eligible voters under the procedures that do not set the minimum voter turnout rate required to validate a national referendum? They have also failed to explain why it is necessary to restrict public service employees’ and teachers’ rights to participate in political activities or to what extent their political activities would be restricted. The ruling parties must be held responsible for using their force of majority to railroad the bill through the House of Councilors committee despite their inability to answer basic questions concerning the key elements of the bill.

The ruling parties have completely ignored the public in legislating procedures for amending the Constitution, which is the nation’s basic law. In the House of Councilors, they put the bill to a vote without holding a central public hearing. The ruling coalition is responsible for this extraordinary state of affairs and thus has left a major blot on the history of the Diet by railroading through such an important bill without listening to the public or even holding a central public hearing.

The Democratic Party of Japan gave the green light to the schedule for the vote in a meeting behind closed doors with the Liberal Democratic Party, although it had earlier expressed opposition to a vote without holding a central public hearing. I must point out that the DPJ also bears grave responsibility in this matter.

We will maintain our opposition to the bill in the House of Councilors. No matter what kind of procedures are established for constitutional revision, the Constitution cannot be revised if the majority of people say “No” to it. We are determined to make every effort to create a firm majority in opposition to constitutional revision.

The Abe Cabinet consists of pro-Yasukuni Shrine forces that justify and even glorify the past Japanese war of aggression. How arrogant it is for the pro-Yasukuni cabinet to seek to revise the Constitution and build a nation that fights wars abroad without reflecting on the past Japanese war of aggression! Such a way will only help to expand contradictions between the Japanese people and the peoples of Asia and elsewhere in the world. While these outrageous moves of the cabinet are extremely dangerous, we are convinced that they will help increase public opposition. Convinced of this, we will continue to develop our struggle. - Akahata, May 12, 2007