Diet Emerges As Forum of Negotiation

The extraordinary session of the Diet was closed on Tuesday December 24th. The greatest achievement of the leading party in this 27-day session was new legislature for stricter regulation on political funds. Although the leading coalition lost its majority in the House of Representatives, as a result of the general election in October, they led the discussions to a conclusion through negotiation with the opposition parties. A new style of politics based on deliberation emerged. 

Most bills in the Diet are submitted by the Cabinet and pass both Houses with majority votes of the leading parties. That has been an ordinary order. It was different in this extraordinary session, which was the first session after the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito lost its majority in the Lower House. The leading coalition cannot expect to pass the bills without consent of any of the opposition parties.

 

Bills for reform of political funds were submitted by parties, not the Cabinet. Only three bills out of nine survived negotiation among parties. One is for abolishing the policy activities fund submitted by the opposition parties. It passed with unanimous approval. Another is establishing a third-party organization in the Diet by the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Komeito. It received approval from the LDP, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin-no Kai).

 

The LDP bill for abolishing the policy activities fund was dismissed, being regarded as including a loophole, and downgraded to be a bill for prohibiting purchase of fundraising party ticket by foreigners and for creating database of political fund. CDPJ, Ishin and DPP joined for the approval of LDP bill.

 

All of those processes were highly unusual in contemporary politics in Japan. The LDP had never accepted demands from the opposition parties in the time of Shinzo Abe administration, when the LDP enjoyed overwhelming majority in both Houses. Its unilateral handlings of bills in the Diet were often criticized as unfair, especially in the ignorance of demands for convocation of the Diet based on a provision of the Constitution or forceful legislature of security enhancement.

 

There were some gains for the LDP in this session. The LDP was successful in postponing abolition of political donations from companies and organizations until the end of next March. Although DPP has been the only hope to expect cooperation for bills, the LDP unexpectedly got another possible partner: Ishin. Co-chair of Ishin, Seiji Maehara, announced that Ishin would possibly approve annual budget bill for FY 2025, if the LDP makes a deal on the issue for free education.

 

It is likely that the Diet is going to be a forum of negotiation for the bills in the ordinary session scheduled to be convoked in late January. If Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is successful in the negotiations with the opposition powers in next session, it may bring a good opportunity to boost his administration. However, the most preferable solution for him is to find a steady coalition partner from the opposition parties, which is still difficult so far.