Diet Battles over Security Bills Continue into Thurs.

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)--Battles between Japanese ruling and opposition parties continued into the small hours of Thursday amid a clamor over controversial national security bills. The ruling camp led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party was trying to hold a House of Councillors special committee meeting to take a vote on the bills, hoping that the government-sponsored legislation will be passed into law at an Upper House plenary meeting on Thursday. But Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition lawmakers gathered in front of the committee room to physically block the meeting from being held. The committee meeting was slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (9:30 a.m. GMT) for a final question-and-answer session that would precede a committee vote. But hours after that, the Upper House panel still remained unable to start such a session. The bills would allow the country to exercise the right to collective self-defense and expand the scope of overseas activities by the Self-Defense Forces. The House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber, passed the bills in July. On Wednesday, the committee held a regional public hearing on the bills in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, in which speakers recommended by the ruling side defended the bills, while those backed by the opposition rejected the legislation. The Upper House has debated the bills for some 100 hours, close to 116 hours spent at the Lower House. Given this, the LDP and its coalition partner, Komeito, concluded that that enough Diet discussions had been held on the bills. At an executive meeting Wednesday night of the Upper House steering committee, its chairman, Masaharu Nakagawa, decided to hold a plenary meeting of the chamber from 10 a.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, leaders of five opposition parties, including the main opposition DPJ and Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party), on Wednesday agreed to take all possible measures to block the passage of the bills, such as a no-confidence motion against Abe's cabinet and a censure motion against him. At the Lower House, the steering committee decided to hold a plenary meeting on Thursday. The ruling camp does not hesitate to resort to a so-called 60-day rule to get the bills enacted, informed sources said. Under the rule, stipulated by a constitutional provision, the Lower House can enact a bill with two-thirds majority support in a second vote if the Upper House fails to vote on it within 60 days after it was sent from the Lower House. More than 60 days have passed since the Lower House passed the national security legislation on July 16. The ruling camp is hurrying to enact the unpopular bills as the next Upper House election is slated for summer 2016. The ruling side wants to secure ample time for the public outcry against the legislation to tail off, the sources said. The ruling side also hopes to hold an Upper House vote on Thursday, as protest rallies against the bills, including the one in front of the Diet building, are seen climaxing Friday, the sources added. END