JIP Drags the Diet Around

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pushes some agenda in the Diet, taking advantage of supermajority power in the Lower House. Those issues are basically upheld by its coalition partner, Japan Innovation Party. The LDP promote them to attract JIP to stay in the leading coalition, but has no big interest in them. The opposition parties are frustrated with unilateral procedure by the leading parties, making passage of other bills difficult. 

When forming the leading coalition with the LDP, JIP allocated reduction of Lower House seats by ten percent at the top issue to achieve. Although JIP had raised regulation of political fund as one of the most important agenda of the coalition, it dropped the issue receiving firm opposition from the LDP. Then, JIP picked the seat reduction as the cause for them to form a leading coalition with the LDP which had been long-time political rival.

 

Both leading parties failed in enacting the law to reduce ten percent of Lower House seats in extraordinary session of the Diet last fall. But they resubmitted the bill in current session, encouraged by LDP’s sweeping victory in Lower House election in February. Although they have no viable perspective to pass in the Upper House, in which they do not have a majority, the leading parties decided to start discussion of the bill without concession from opposition parties.

 

Opposition parties have a reason to oppose it. The bill proposes reducing 45 seats of the Lower House in proportional district. As small opposition parties do not have power enough to obtain majority in any single-seat district, they are fundamentally relying on proportional district to maintain their seats. The reduction of 45 seats in proportional district works against small opposition parties threatening their survival.

 

The LDP also accelerates procedure of bill of Backup Capital Act which JIP strongly supports. Osaka Ishin-no Kai is the core of JIP, making the governor of Osaka, Hirofumi Yoshimura, the top leader of the party. Backup Capital Act is supposed to work for making Osaka the second capital of Japan. The LDP has no big interest in the legislation, but JIP sees a benefit of leading coalition with the LDP.

 

When a bill is submitted to the Diet, parties discuss when they will start discussion on it. The schedule sometimes determines fate of the bill. Even if the leading parties have majority in both chambers of the Diet, they are careful in getting consensus on schedule from opposition parties for smooth procedure. But the LDP and JIP unilaterally started discussion on bills for Lower House seat reduction and backup capital. Opposition parties are united not to accept any negotiation for schedule in the Diet which is scheduled to close on July 17th.

 

It is likely that JIP’s insistence on their own issues are distorting Diet procedure. JIP leader Yoshimura argues with no specific reason that reduction of Diet seat is the most important political reform for the House. But it is extremely unusual for the governor of a local prefecture demands reduction of seats in national parliament. That is because not only opposition parties but some LDP lawmakers oppose it. Most parties except JIP know that Backup Capital bill is for Osaka to be the capital. JIP is alienated from other parties in the Diet, which represent interest of Japan as a whole.

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