How should people be secured who can serve as local assembly members in depopulated areas? It is important to move institutional reforms forward, while taking into account the actual situations of such areas.
A study panel of experts at the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has compiled a report on how town and village assemblies should be.
In addition to the current system, the panel proposed two new systems. One is the "intensive and professional model" made up a small number of full-time assembly members. The other is the "mass participation model," assuming that the members serve their roles as their side job. Each local municipality, by its own ordinance, will be able to choose one of the three models of assembly as it sees fit. The government is considering institutionalizing it by revising the Local Government Law as early as next year.
In the races for municipal assemblies of 373 towns and villages, held in the simultaneous nationwide local elections in 2015, there were 89 municipalities, or more than 20 percent of the total, in which no vote was held because the winning candidates ran unopposed. Should the population flow into urban areas advance further, it is highly likely the number of such uncontested elections will increase.
It is understandable to search for a way for local assemblies to be run flexibly, without being restricted by the existing system, so as to secure people who wish to become local assembly members.
The select few members at the intensive and professional model will deliberate on and examine bills. Remuneration for these assembly members will be raised by a large margin. From the viewpoint of increasing the reflection of the popular will, a mechanism such as choosing residents by lot to occasionally contribute to the deliberations will also be introduced.
In the mass participation model, members with other jobs will take an active part in the assembly, mainly at night or on holidays. Their remuneration will be kept low. Even those who hold positions at other local governments or as executives of companies that have business contracts with the municipal office will be allowed to also serve on the assembly as their side office or job.
Discuss members' treatment
In line with the easing of the regulations with regard to holding another position or pursuing a side business, matters related to the conclusion of business contracts will be excluded from the list of deliberations at such an assembly. The public disclosure of information will be improved to help residents examine the assembly's activities.
This can be considered as a system akin to a general meeting of a town or a village, where voters discuss budgets and other bills themselves, in place of a local assembly. It will also become necessary to hold careful discussions as to whether such a system may impair the spirit of the dual representation system, in which voters choose the head of a local government and assembly members in separate elections.
The duty of a local assembly is to oversee the administration that is close to people's daily lives, and to judge the priority order of policies. While maintaining this function of a local assembly, it is important to develop an environment that will make it easier for a variety of people with good judgement to be able to run for an assembly seat.
The ministry will solidify its institutional design by hearing opinions from local governments and local assemblies. After that, the design will be passed to the Local Government System Research Council, an advisory panel to the Prime Minister.
Towns and villages differ in their population, their fiscal situations and the problems they face. It may not be necessary for a method of grasping the popular will to always be uniform. The spirit of local autonomy that the things related to local communities should be decided on by local communities should be treasured.
The Liberal Democratic Party is considering legislation drafted by Diet members that will allow local assembly members to subscribe to the employees' pension program. It is aimed at guaranteeing to a certain degree local assembly members' lives after retirement, thus having people become more willing to run for an assembly.
It is necessary to discuss comprehensively how the local assembly and the treatment of assembly members should be.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 27, 2018)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
