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2015/04/07
QT to be held on May 20, despite DPJ call for it to be held earlier
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On April 7, DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Deputy Chair Jun Azumi submitted a proposal for holding a Question Time (QT) session to the ruling parties. Azumi told reporters inside the Diet building that the DPJ had proposed that the first QT session of this ordinary Diet session be held on April 22, after the budget for fiscal 2015 passes the House of Councillors and is enacted. He also explained that the ruling parties said it would be difficult to hold such a session in April, and so they would consider holding it soon after the end of the Golden Week holiday period, which stretches from late April to early May.
Azumi commented on this, saying “Many Japanese people are interested in the QT session. The ruling side has not so far accepted requests made for any QT session since President Okada became leader of the DPJ. That’s why we officially made this proposal to the ruling side.” He also explained why the session had been proposed for April 22, saying, “It would be better for the Prime Minister to inform the Japanese people prior to his visit to the United States of his views on issues such as Okinawa and national security legislation, and also of how he intends to explain these issues to U.S. President Obama…The United States is a vital ally for Japan, but the Prime Minister should fulfill his accountability obligations to the nation before talking to the U.S.”
Regarding the Prime Minister’s Office’s reluctance to respond to requests for a meeting made by the Governor of Okinawa Takeshi Onaga, Azumi criticized the government’s reactions so far, saying, “Even if there are differences of opinion between the Governor and the administration, they must respond politely to the Governor, who represents the people of Okinawa. The refusal of both the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga to meet with Onaga [until recently] have demonstrated the arrogance of the administration. This could invite opposition among the residents of Okinawa and is also undesirable from the viewpoint of diplomacy and national security. It could grow into a source of anxiety for the U.S, too.”
The next day, however, Azumi told reporters, following talks with the ruling side, “We demanded that QT be held during April, but due to an overseas visit scheduled for the Prime Minister [Asian-African Conference in Indonesia from April 22 to 24], the ruling side and our side have basically reached an agreement to hold it on May 20. We argued the first QT of this Diet session should be held a little earlier. From that viewpoint, it is regrettable that it will ultimately not be held until May 20.” He also told reporters that diplomacy and national security issues would be a main theme of the QT.
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