Concern Raised over Proposed Cut in Japan Lower House Seats

Tokyo, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition parties are wary of a plan by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) to reduce the number of House of Representatives seats by 10 pct from the current 465. Nippon Ishin, the new coalition partner of the ruling LDP, is calling for a cut of about 50 proportional representation seats in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament. Nippon Ishin co-leader Fumitake Fujita said, “We should implement a major cut.” Small parties that rely on proportional representation seats are on high alert, with an official of one party saying that the LDP-Nippon Ishin plan is “a targeted attack.” Reducing proportional representation seats is “the speediest way” to downsize the Lower House, Fujita told a press conference Friday. The coalition agreement between the LDP and Nippon Ishin calls for slashing the Lower House seats by 10 pct. The two parties plan to submit a relevant bill to the ongoing extraordinary Diet session, with an aim to enact it during the session, which is scheduled to run until Dec. 17. Nippon Ishin has not ruled out the possibility of exiting the coalition unless the plan is put into action. Opposition parties whose presence could be affected significantly by the number of seats they gain under the proportional representation system are increasingly alarmed. Speaking with reporters Friday, Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya criticized the ruling coalition proposal, saying that it was “too sudden.” The coalition should not ram it through, he added. Sanseito won 14 House of Councillors seats in the July 20 election for the upper chamber of the Diet, and seven of them are proportional representation seats. Reducing proportional representation seats amounts to “crushing small parties,” a senior Sanseito official said. The Lower House’s current electoral system combining single-seat constituencies and the proportional representation format is designed to help realize a two-party system that enables a change of government and to reflect diverse voices of the people in politics. Recently, the single-seat constituency system, rather than the proportional representation system, has been criticized because its election results tend to be easily influenced by specific public opinions. Japanese Communist Party chief Tomoko Tamura expressed opposition to a reduction in the number of proportional representation seats while noting that the single-seat constituency system cannot reflect the voices of people. Tetsuo Saito, head of Komeito, the former coalition partner of the LDP, also sounded cautious about reducing proportional representation seats, saying, “The issue needs to be considered carefully among many parties.” Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki is supportive of a cut in the number of Lower House seats, but apparently wants to confirm the details of the LDP-Nippon Ishin proposal. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called for reducing seats under the single-seat constituency system as well, saying that it is necessary to strike a balance between the two systems. A reduction in constituency seats is expected to significantly affect the LDP’s electoral district coordination for its current Lower House lawmakers. Opposition has been raised also within the LDP. Lower House member Ichiro Aisawa, who has worked on issues related to the nation’s electoral systems, suggested that cutting the number of seats before taking other reform measures is “out of the question.” LDP Executive Acting Secretary-General Koichi Hagiuda stressed the importance of forming a consensus with opposition parties. Opposition may grow among LDP lawmakers elected under the proportional representation system, informed sources said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]