Upper House closes without holding plenary session

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Upper House closes without holding plenary session

"The Democratic Party of Japan left a stain on Japan's parliamentary democracy and the history of the House of Councilors," criticized Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi.

On June 16, because the ruling DPJ had forcibly ended the Upper House Steering Committee meeting while discussing the agenda for the House plenary session, the House of Councilors was unable to convene its plenary session even on the final day of the current Diet session. Four bills, including a bill to revise the disabled person "self-support" law, which already passed in the House of Representatives, were dropped because the Diet deliberation was unfinished.

At a news conference jointly held by seven opposition parties after the Upper House Steering Committee meeting, JCP representative Inoue said, "The DPJ's attitude at the end of the Diet session was not only to avoid extending the term of the Diet session but also to reject opposition parties' demands for continued Diet discussions on key issues. The DPJ's qualification to undertake the leadership role in a parliamentary democracy as a ruling party is called into question."

Although the DPJ at a meeting of all political parties' Diet affairs chiefs on June 10 proposed extending the Diet session and holding a Budget Committee meeting in both Houses, it unilaterally abandoned its own proposal on June 14 in defiance of criticism of five opposition parties. Because of this, both Houses of the Diet did not call a meeting of the Budget Committee. The both Houses did not convoke a Budget Committee meeting after a change in the prime minister has not occurred for 20 years.

- Akahata, June 17, 2010