On May 14, there was a press release by Mr. Ian Kelly, Spokesman of the US Department of State. That is the United States government welcomed the Japanese Diet ratified the Agreement on the Relocation of US Marine Corps fro Okinawa to Guam on the previous day. Japanese Foreign Minister Nakasone and Secretary Clinton signed this Agreement when Madam Secretary visited Tokyo in February this year. It took about three months to be confirmed in the legislative side.
We have to realize this Agreement was not born by unanimous consent.
The Japanese parliament is the bicameral system: the House of Representative and House of Councilors. This Agreement was rejected by Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Communist and Social Democratic Parties in the House of Councilors. The opposition parties have a majority.
However, on the Constitution, the House of Representatives is superior to Councilors. Since ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds majority in the House of Representative, the Agreement was finally approved.
We will have general election in this year. There is a possibility that DPJ will get the majority in the House of Representative. That is why foreign leaders have been recently meeting both the Prime Minster and President of DPJ.
If the opposition party comes to power, I wonder whether it executes the Agreement smoothly.
[PHP Global e-Forum Editorial Office]
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