Upper House steering committee should be represented by all parties: JCP

The Japanese Communist Party on July 28 requested the House of Councilors President Kurata Hiroyuki that all parties, including those with under ten seats, be represented on the Upper House Steering Committee.

Since 1953, the Upper House has made it a rule to distribute committee seats only among parties with ten or more representatives in the Upper House.

The JCP along with the Social Democratic Party fell short of maintaining ten or more seats as a result of the recent House of Councilors election.

JCP Upper House members led by Yoshikawa Haruko made representations to the Upper House president and committee directors, as well as other parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party.

Pointing out that the Upper House used to have the good tradition of securing smaller parties' right to speak, Yoshikawa stressed that committee members should be represented by all political parties in proportion to the number of their seats in the house as stipulated by the Diet Law.

She also said that the Upper House must follow democratic rules as part of Upper House reforms.

The Upper House steering committee rejected the JCP proposal. (end)