Japan Press Weekly

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2007 April 25 - May 8 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

At public hearings speakers call for careful discussion on constitutional revision procedure bill

On April 24, the House of Councilors Special Research Committee on the Constitution held public hearings on a bill to establish procedures for constitutional revision in Sendai City (Miyagi Pref.) and Nagoya City (Aichi Pref.).

At the hearings, speakers one after another called on the Committee to carefully conduct its discussion on the bill.

In Nagoya, Hioki Yasushi, mayor of Inabe City (Mie Pref.) stated, “I am concerned about how the questions on the Constitution that have a bearing on the foundations of the nation could be made universally known,” adding, “This procedure bill must be carefully dealt with.”

Meijo University Professor Aminaka Masaki, a speaker recommended by the ruling parties, stated that “at least 40 or 50 percent” must be stipulated as the minimum voter turnout rate required for a revision of the Constitution.

The reason a Liberal Democratic Party member of the committee gave for avoiding setting the minimum voter turnout rate was that, if it is set, the voter turnout rate has to surpass the minimum required rate even in the case of correcting words and phrases.

Lawyer Kasamatsu Ken’ichi criticized this argument, saying, “It is groundless to argue that the voter turnout or the approval rate of one percent is enough to correct words and phrases. Such an unreasonable argument goes against the principle of popular sovereignty.”

In Sendai City, Lawyer Sasaki Kenji stated, “A minimum voter turnout rate must be stipulated in order to confirm that the majority of the public clearly and positively support constitutional revision.”

The constitutional revision procedure bill was pushed through the House of Representatives on April 13 and is now being discussed in the House of Councilors. - Akahata, April 25, 2007