Japan Press Weekly

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2015 September 9 - 15 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Shii condemns railroading of war bills

The government-drafted war bills on September 17, amid the yelling and scuffling drowning out the chairman’s voice, was rammed through the Upper House Special Committee by the majority force of the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties. The Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, Japan Innovation, and People’s Life parties resolved to do their utmost to block the passage at a House plenary session.

In the morning of this day, in protest against the high-handed steering of discussions in the special committee by committee chairman Konoike Yoshitada (LDP), the DPJ brought forth a motion to dismiss the chairman. The motion was defeated by a majority vote of the ruling block and the debate on the war bills was suddenly terminated. While lawmakers of the JCP and other opposition parties were fiercely resisting, the bills were approved in a violent manner.

Five opposition parties, including the JCP, together with independents opposing the bills immediately met with the House of Councilors president and requested the invalidation of the earlier approval. They pointed to the fact that due to the shouting and confusion, no stenographic record regarding the vote in the committee was made and thus it is impossible to tally the yes-no votes on the bills, amendments to the bills, and a collateral resolution to the bills. The president, however, rejected the request.

Under this circumstance, Upper House Steering Committee Chairman Nakagawa Masaharu (LDP) on his authority decided to hold a plenary session.

Diet policy commission chairs of the five opposition parties then held a meeting and determined to prevent the war bills from being enacted in the plenary session by employing every possible means, such as submitting of a motion to dismiss the Upper House president and a censure motion against Defense Minister Nakatani Gen.

Later on the same day at a JCP Dietmembers’ meeting, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo criticized the forcible passage of the bills as outrageous and called on JCP lawmakers to continue making their utmost effort to bar the railroading of the bills through the Upper House.

Shii referred to the fact that 60% of the general public oppose the enactment of the bills in the current Diet session and 80% said that the government explanation is insufficient and that if the ruling parties ram through the bills by using their majority force, such an act will violate the principle of popular sovereignty which is the very basis of the Constitution.

Shii went on to call on JCP lawmakers to work hard in solidarity with the huge number of people converging in protest from across Japan in front of the Diet building.

Past related articles:
> 331 NGOs issue joint statement against war bills [September 11 and 12, 2015]
> Diet surrounded by 120,000 people seeking to kill war bills [August 31, 2015]