Overnight Struggle for Bills

The Special Committee for Security Legislation of House of Councillors could not make final discussion over new security bills Wednesday night. While the leading parties, Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, tried to make votes for the bills, the opposites, Democratic Party of Japan, Innovation Party and Japan Communist Party, blocked opening the committee. Around the Diet building was a vast number of people against the bills with the message of “Don’t destroy Constitution.”

The committee held a regional hearing in Yokohama, which was set as routine process for legislation of any important bills. A witness nominated by the leading parties, Toshiyuki Ito, a former officer of Marine Self-defense Force, told that new security bills were to enhance deterrence and disturb intention of other countries attempting to change status quo. While he indicated China as a possible target, the bills themselves proved to be not working for deterrence against China. Government of Japan simply expects that United States will help Japan, if Japan passes the bills.

Witnesses for the opposite parties stressed on constitutionality. “The Diet is not where giving the government a blank check. It will lose its raison d’être, if it passes the bills. It will not be a democracy, but a simple majority,” told a lawyer, Mizukami Takahisa.

When Chairman of the Committee, Yoshihisa Konoike, was leaving the building for testimony in Yokohama, people surrounded his car and tried to block him getting back to the Diet in Tokyo, where he was planning to make final discussion over the bills. After escaping the mob and arrived at the Diet, Konoike realized that the members of opposite parties were gathering committee room to block the discussion.

Meeting of ranking members to talk about procedure in the committee extended to late at night. The opposite parties argued that schedule of final discussion set by arbitral decision of the chairman could not be tolerated. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other ministers were waiting for the start in the committee room, the decision whether the committee should have final discussion were postponed to Thursday morning.

Abe wanted to achieve as many consent as possible for the bills, being afraid of erosion of his political basis, because losing popularity might affect his next agenda, constitutional amendment. But, it is obvious that the bills are insufficient to fulfill requirements of the Constitution. Public protest against the bills does not stop growing among students, professors, teenagers, the old, the middle, doctors, nurses, businessmen or housewives. Nevertheless, the administration ignores their voices. It takes its toll.