The 197^th extraordinary session of the Diet closed after passing bills, with the majority force, to revise the Immigration Act, the Water Supply Act and the Fisheries Act, which constitute key laws connected directly with people’s life as well as the social structure. Concerning the Immigration Act, the government was unable to reply correctly to questions of lawmakers during the debates, as the administration had entrusted relevant ministries to cope with essential issues through ministerial orders. Thus, democracy in the country stands on the verge of crisis.

DEBATES NOT FULLY FINALIZED, BUT BILLS APPROVED WITH MAJORITY

Laws approved rapidly without enough debates

Responding to demands of the business circle, the Abe Government regarded the immigration law as the most urgent. Concerning the report on missing foreign technical trainees, government’s statistics were proven false as opposition lawmakers questioned in the debates; it had explained about the account that out of 2870 disappeared trainees 22 people had worked with lower salaries than the minimum wage. But, in fact, the figure of those who fled workplaces was 1927, which occupied 67% of total trainees.

It was also made clear that the organization designated by the government to instruct and control doubtful, controversial mediating agencies has never been aware of tricky calculations. An unprepared bill for revision was approved roughly and speedily.

Water supply law opposed by LDP’s local assembly members

A bill to amend the Water Supply Act was approved in the House of Representatives just before the last ordinary session ended. It passed the bill after debating for only nine hours to rely on the majority, taking advantage of confusions in the parliamentary management procedures. That has led to a fact time is too short for people to know about major points of the revisions.

Therefore, debates in the Upper House were focused upon during the extraordinary session, but uneasiness commonly shared by people and municipalities was not taken into consideration. The Diet did not verify experiences in the foreign countries where water service operations return to public management because of failures coming from privatization.

The provincial assembly of Fukui Prefecture has presented a letter to the government, ‘Proposal to request prudent debates on the bill to revise the Water Supply Act’, and the Niigata Prefecture’s assembly has sent ‘Statement against the bill to revise the Water Supply Act as it promotes privatization’. They assert that water service does not fit into privatization and that the revised law may ruin the rights of people who should enjoy safe, cheap and stable water supply to lead a healthy life.

In both of the prefectural assemblies members belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) agreed to the position. These LDP assembly people are courageous in a sense, but that means that ‘the concession method’ that the bill recommends has multiple risks.

Law on Fisheries – Disintegration of fishermen’s unions

As for the Fisheries Act, revisions were proposed after 70 years of absence. The new changes directly link with fishermen’s life and their local communities and endanger daily fishing practices. The government has not listened to voices of fishermen and their cooperatives/unions or given them sufficient explanations on the alterations.

The current fisheries law stipulates that every fisherman should belong to a fishermen’s cooperative/union. Thus the organizations, representing all members, negotiate and manage fishing operations. If a business entity joins fishing activities, it needs to be a union member. The revised law will allow a company to be licensed without consent of the unions. It will abolish clauses which have favored local unions and fishermen. The government’s intention lies in encouraging business to join aqua-culturing.

Simultaneously a new system will be implemented on the ground to prevent indiscriminate hunting; a haul of fish is set per fishing boat after expanding the current quota on catch. In this way a fish catch quota is moving from one boat to another if its possession is transferred. Fishing people concern about the quotas may concentrate into lucrative firms to be monopolized.

Regarding amendment of the constitution, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the ruling LDP attempted to present four proposals to the Constitution Council. Though the intent was discouraged by struggles of the opposition parties and citizens, the Abe government is persistent and dangerous. It must withdraw.

December 18, 2018