DPJ seeks a single-seat-constituency-only system

Japan Press Weekly

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DPJ seeks a single-seat-constituency-only system

The Democratic Party of Japan is seeking to cut the number of Dietmembers in sets with a measure to narrow the vote weight disparity and to eventually establish a complete single-seat electoral district system in the future.

According to an internal document distributed on December 1 during a general meeting of DPJ lawmakers, the party will embark on a plan to reduce the number of seats in the Upper House and to even cut the number of the Lower House proportional representation seats by 80 seats within next year’s ordinary Diet session.

The document states that the reform in the Upper House electoral system is for the purpose of correcting the wide disparity in the weight of ballots in the House.

The vote-value imbalance is something that must be immediately tackled, but an effort for vote-value equality and cuts in the number of parliamentarian seats are two separate issues. The DPJ is attempting to use the vote disparity issue as an excuse to also put a seat-cutting issue on the agenda.

The document advocates the need to “maintain” the fundamentals of the present voting system and to “represent” the majority’s preference.

When the current system was introduced, the government explained that single-seat blocs would “represent” the majority public opinion and proportional representation blocs would “reflect” a wide variety of public opinions. However, to halve the number of Diet seats which “reflect” public opinions while keeping the single-seat blocs which only “represent” the majority is not the same as “maintaining” the current system. It will radically change the system.

What is more, the document calls for a complete single-seat constituency system in the future. This contradicts its own argument that it is important to “maintain” the basics of the present system.

The DPJ wants to exclude small parties from legislative power and bury the diversity of public opinion through a single-seat election system which favors large parties. If it succeeds in this endeavor, Diet deliberations and parliamentary democracy will suffer.

- Akahata, December 12, 2010