Diet Interpellation: Deepen Policy Debate Even During Election Campaign Period

Editorial

15:00 JST, October 8, 2024

The ruling and opposition parties have covered a wide range of topics, including the issue of politics and money, the economic situation and foreign policy, but they have been unable to draw any in-depth responses from the government side.

The Diet debate ends on Wednesday, and the House of Representatives is expected to be dissolved. There is a mountain of issues to be addressed regarding matters both at home and abroad. During the election campaign, the government and the ruling and opposition parties must squarely debate not only the issue of politics and money, but also important policies.

At a plenary session of the House of Representatives, interpellations from representatives of the ruling and opposition parties were held in response to the policy speech delivered by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The questions from each party focused on politics and money.

In the upcoming lower house election, Ishiba intends, in principle, not to endorse as official party candidates Liberal Democratic Party members who were harshly punished for failing to enter some revenue in their political funds reports. For example, the LDP will not endorse those whose party membership was suspended.

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan President Yoshihiko Noda pursued the matter, saying, “I think the LDP will approve the majority of the members who failed to include [the revenue] in the reports.”

In addition, Ishiba said he plans to give official party endorsements for single-seat constituencies to LDP lawmakers who were not punished despite having failed to enter information in the reports, but that these lawmakers will not be permitted to also run in proportional representation segments.

Ishiba apparently aims to demonstrate the LDP’s tough position, but the prime minister’s initial stance was to endorse members who submitted written pledges and allow them to run in both the single-seat constituency races and proportional representation segments.

The fact that Ishiba has repeatedly changed his position while under fire from the public has only served to highlight his lack of consistency, and this may have a negative impact on his support.

In the first place, the mechanism of allowing candidates who lose in single-seat constituencies to make a comeback through proportional representation has long been criticized as not reflecting the will of voters.

The matter of running in both single-seat constituency races and proportional representation segments should not be used as a means of punishing lawmakers who failed to enter information in the reports. It should be reconsidered by both the ruling and opposition parties as a way of reflecting the will of the people. Why not use this opportunity to discuss a review of the system of allowing to run in both single-seat constituencies and proportional representation races?

Japan Innovation Party leader Nobuyuki Baba and Kazuo Shii, the chairman of the Japanese Communist Party’s central committee, have both called for a ban on donations from companies and organizations.

If the collection of donations through legal means is banned, how can the funds necessary for political activities be obtained? It seems irresponsible that they have not presented alternative ideas.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Noda said Japan “should work to ease tensions through its own diplomacy,” and Ishiba responded that “Japan will carry out proactive diplomacy aimed at stabilizing the situation.”

It is said that Japan, which has good relations with both Israel and Arab countries, should be able to play a mediating role. The prime minister needs to launch proactive diplomacy.

Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki argued that increased tax revenue should be used for a permanent reduction in income tax.

With the upcoming lower house election in mind, insisting on something that is like a handout policy to increase spending to attract voters should be refrained from.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 8, 2024)