Japan Press Weekly

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2026 January 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

JCP CC Chair Shii: Diet dissolution based on Article 7 of the Constitution is clear example of PM Takaichi’s abuse of power

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo fiercely criticized Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s snap dissolution of the House of Representatives based on Article 7 of the Constitution, describing it as unconstitutional and an abuse of her power. He made this remark on January 23 in response in an interview with TBS.

Shii pointed out that Article 7 stipulates that dissolving the House of Representatives is an act “in matters of state” performed by the Tenno (Emperor) and does not provide this authority to the prime minister. He said that what the Constitution states is that the Diet can be dissolved in order to seek the judgement of the people when the Lower House passes a non-confidence motion against the Cabinet.

He continued to say, “The dissolution refers to dismissing all members of the House of Representatives which constitutes the Diet, the highest organ of state power. If the prime minister is allowed to carry out this act arbitrarily, it means that the prime minister would come to have the supreme authority, paving the way for dictatorial rule. This unconstitutional move must not be tolerated.”

Shii criticized PM Takaichi for dissolving the Lower House without holding Diet discussions on the fiscal 2026 budget bill while claiming that she gives her top priority to economic measures. He stated that the dissolution is imposing additional burdens on heavy-snow belt regions as well as on municipal governments occupied with drafting their budgets for fiscal 2026. He said, “PM Takaichi carried out the dissolution in violation of the Constitution with selfish motives, which indicates that she has no concern with how certain regions will be negatively impacted and the people inconvenienced.”