Japan Press Weekly

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2016 April 27 - May 10 [POLITICS]

Even LDP and Komei lawmakers express concern over Diet seat reduction

Lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties expressed their concerns over cuts in the number of Diet seats during Diet deliberations on April 27, although their parties themselves submitted the bills.

At a meeting of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Political Ethics and Election Law on this day, LDP parliamentarian Hosoda Hiroyuki said that if the bill is approved, “the number of Diet seats will decrease to the same level as in 1926 when Japan’s population was just half of the present size.” He went on to say, “Dietmembers represent voters. So, I think, a larger number of representatives would be preferable.”

Komei Vice President Kitagawa Kazuo remarked that the size of Japan’s Lower House is not overly large.

Another LDP lawmaker Aizawa Ichiro said, “I, personally, disagree with the argument that self-sacrificing political reform should be achieved through cutting the number of Diet seats. Dietmembers are supposed to represent the will of the public, meaning only the general public has power over Diet seats.”

The ruling parties, however, used their majority to pass the bill through the Lower House committee. The Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill.

JCP lawmaker Kokuta Keiji in the discussion prior to the vote noted that as a reason for the submission of the bill, the ruling coalition used a top court ruling recognizing vote value disparities in the 2014 general election as being in a state of unconstitutionality.

Kokuta pointed out, “What the Supreme Court called for is to narrow the inequalities. However, a bill to reduce the number of Lower House seats under the single-seat constituency election system was introduced before anyone saw it coming.”

Past related article:
> JCP Kokuta opposes bills to slash number of Diet seats [ April 23, 2016]