Japan Press Weekly

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2016 May 11 - 17 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Protest against Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly’s move to overrule JCP spreading

Kanagawa citizens have taken to the streets to protest against the prefectural assembly’s move to overrule Japanese Communist Party members.

In the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly, political parties, including the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Democratic parties, have been trying to introduce in the current rules in regard to the operations of the assembly an exception purging JCP members from engaging in interpellations. As a reason for the introduction, these parties insisted that the JCP made blunders during assembly discussions.

On May 11 and 12, the Prefectural Assembly steering committee held meetings to discuss the subject for and against the exception excluding the JCP from question-answer sessions at plenaries.

Many citizens gathered to join protest actions, such as watching the discussions from the public gallery in the assembly hall and holding rallies in front of the prefectural office building.

Holding a placard, reading, “Don’t ban JCP’s interpellations!”, a 48-year-old man from Yokohama City said, “I want the assembly to be operated in a democratic manner.”

The Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom Kanagawa Branch on May 10 issued a statement in protest against the move to deprive the JCP of its right to interpellation in the prefectural assembly, criticizing the move as trampling on parliamentary democracy.

In the statement, the lawyers’ group stressed, “It is unforgivable for the assembly to overrule assemblypersons who are elected by Kanagawa citizens and not allow them to ask questions,” and demanded a democratic operations of the assembly.

This issue also attracted public attention on the Internet.

People in online communities are voicing their objections, saying, “Normally, I have a bad impression of the JCP. But, I totally oppose denying their right to interpellate because they are elected by voters to speak for them.”

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Facing fierce public protests, the LDP, Komei, and the DP decided not to introduce the anti-JCP exception in the assembly operation rules at an assembly steering committee meeting held on the night of May 12.

After the meeting, JCP Assembly members’ group chair Isaka Shin’ya commented that objections from many residents led to the steering committee’s decision. He went on to say, “Sincerely reflecting on causing this controversy, we will make efforts to prevent an occurrence.”