The proposed legislative change is aimed at facilitating an environment in which people will find it easy to vote in connection with revisions to the Constitution. It is necessary for the ruling and opposition parties to set their party interests aside and achieve that aim.
Amending the national referendum law, which sets out the procedures for revising the Constitution, has surfaced as a task to be addressed in the current Diet session. Komeito has said it will give priority to addressing the issue, and the Liberal Democratic Party intends to go along with the move.
The purpose of the proposal is to ensure that systems introduced under the revised Public Offices Election Law of 2016 are applied to a national referendum. Measures would include setting up community polling places at such locations as train stations and commercial facilities, while also expanding the range of children allowed to enter polling stations with voters who bring them along.
There is every reason to improve the convenience of voting in a national referendum, just as in ordinary national elections, and to guarantee voters balloting opportunities. Not only the ruling parties but most opposition parties supported revisions to the election law. Practical talks should be quickly promoted.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has emphasized the need to tighten regulations on TV commercials with respect to revising the national referendum law.
The current law bans commercials from being broadcast during a 14-day period prior to a vote, with no restrictions imposed on those aired ahead of that period. Arguing that well-financed organizations could influence public opinion, the CDPJ has studied measures to set an upper limit on expenses to be incurred by each organization and to prohibit political parties from spending on commercials.
Also discuss top law revision
Procedures for revising the Constitution must be initiated through a two-thirds or greater majority vote in the House of Representatives and in the House of Councillors, and amendments can be realized by winning a majority of votes in a national referendum.
It is important to make a judgment in a considered manner after individuals and organizations freely state their opinions for or against amendments. The principle laid down at the time of establishing the referendum law is to keep restrictions on referendum-linked campaigns to the minimum necessary.
It should be fully considered whether regulations on TV commercials should be reinforced.
Behind assertions for such restrictions is the fact that commercials with priority on image-building effects were broadcast over and over again in a local referendum conducted in the city of Osaka over an Osaka metropolis scheme.
In conducting a national referendum, a publicity council to be set up in each chamber of the Diet will be tasked with preparing publicity materials and ads that state the contents of proposed amendments and equally explain supporting and opposing opinions.
It is essential to increase the effectiveness of that endeavor and also to promote in-depth discussions regarding how to ensure political parties, organizations and other entities are appropriately engaged in publicity activities.
Improving procedures for asking people to vote for or against constitutional revisions is a duty to be fulfilled by the Diet. Each political party should form a consensus through calm discussions.
It is also hoped that discussions on the details of constitutional amendments will be promoted concurrently with revisions to the referendum law. In March, the LDP adopted a four-point idea including the amendment of Article 9 in which the legal basis for the Self-Defense Forces is written. The party is considering presenting its proposals to the lower and upper house commissions on the Constitution and starting discussions with other parties.
However, the opposition parties have become increasingly confrontational against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and have not agreed to open sessions at the commissions, either. Their avoidance of debating the Constitution as the supreme law of the state will not gain the public's understanding.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 24, 2018)
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