Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO6595
2006-11-17 07:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
RULING COALITION PUSHES EDUCATION BILL THROUGH
how-toVZCZCXRO1803 OO RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNH DE RUEHKO #6595 3210705 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 170705Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8408 INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 8854 RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 1345 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 2261 RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 9900 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 006595
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV JA PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: RULING COALITION PUSHES EDUCATION BILL THROUGH
LOWER HOUSE
REF: TOKYO 05568
Classified By: CDA JOE DONOVAN Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 006595
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV JA PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: RULING COALITION PUSHES EDUCATION BILL THROUGH
LOWER HOUSE
REF: TOKYO 05568
Classified By: CDA JOE DONOVAN Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (U) The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and
Komeito Party ruling coalition on Thursday pushed a
controversial bill to revise the 1947 Basic Education Law
through the lower house despite opposition party efforts to
delay deliberations until after the November 19 Okinawa
gubernatorial election. The opposition parties boycotted the
vote in the lower house and were absent from the upper house
plenary session Friday in a failed bid to extend
deliberations. The upper house will start debating the bill
next week and will likely approve it during the current Diet
session ending on December 15. Proposed amendments to the
law include emphasizing traditional values, volunteerism, and
patriotism as educational ideals, in an attempt to revitalize
Japan's troubled educational system.
2. (C) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa
is apparently seeking to use the debate over the education
bill to influence the Okinawa gubernatorial election with aim
of defeating LDP candidate Hirokazu Nakaima. DPJ Research
Committee Deputy General manager Kenji Sasaki told a Tokyo
Embassy official that Ozawa's opposition to revising the
education bill has nothing to do with policy and everything
to do with the election. Ozawa is trying to bolster support
for the opposition-backed candidate by convincing Okinawans
that the Abe Cabinet, by revising the education law, is
leading the country closer to the right, LDP International
Bureau Director Miyako Ito, speculated. The opposition hopes
that an LDP loss in Okinawa would weaken the Abe cabinet and
bolster the DPJ's chances the upper house election next year.
3. (C) The ruling coalition's decision to push the bill
through the lower house without opposition support will
probably have little impact on the strength of the Abe
administration. The ruling coalition spent over 100 hours
debating the bill in the lower house and incorporated some of
the DPJ's recommended changes, according to LDP International
Bureau Director Miyako Ito. Japanese media coverage on the
lower house's decision to pass the bill was balanced and the
impact in Tokyo appears low. Moreover, if the LDP waited to
pass the bill, and lost the election in Okinawa, it would
have become even more difficult, according to Ito. LDP
leadership did not want to risk damaging the Abe cabinet by
failing to pass the bill during the current Diet session.
DONOVAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV JA PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: RULING COALITION PUSHES EDUCATION BILL THROUGH
LOWER HOUSE
REF: TOKYO 05568
Classified By: CDA JOE DONOVAN Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (U) The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and
Komeito Party ruling coalition on Thursday pushed a
controversial bill to revise the 1947 Basic Education Law
through the lower house despite opposition party efforts to
delay deliberations until after the November 19 Okinawa
gubernatorial election. The opposition parties boycotted the
vote in the lower house and were absent from the upper house
plenary session Friday in a failed bid to extend
deliberations. The upper house will start debating the bill
next week and will likely approve it during the current Diet
session ending on December 15. Proposed amendments to the
law include emphasizing traditional values, volunteerism, and
patriotism as educational ideals, in an attempt to revitalize
Japan's troubled educational system.
2. (C) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa
is apparently seeking to use the debate over the education
bill to influence the Okinawa gubernatorial election with aim
of defeating LDP candidate Hirokazu Nakaima. DPJ Research
Committee Deputy General manager Kenji Sasaki told a Tokyo
Embassy official that Ozawa's opposition to revising the
education bill has nothing to do with policy and everything
to do with the election. Ozawa is trying to bolster support
for the opposition-backed candidate by convincing Okinawans
that the Abe Cabinet, by revising the education law, is
leading the country closer to the right, LDP International
Bureau Director Miyako Ito, speculated. The opposition hopes
that an LDP loss in Okinawa would weaken the Abe cabinet and
bolster the DPJ's chances the upper house election next year.
3. (C) The ruling coalition's decision to push the bill
through the lower house without opposition support will
probably have little impact on the strength of the Abe
administration. The ruling coalition spent over 100 hours
debating the bill in the lower house and incorporated some of
the DPJ's recommended changes, according to LDP International
Bureau Director Miyako Ito. Japanese media coverage on the
lower house's decision to pass the bill was balanced and the
impact in Tokyo appears low. Moreover, if the LDP waited to
pass the bill, and lost the election in Okinawa, it would
have become even more difficult, according to Ito. LDP
leadership did not want to risk damaging the Abe cabinet by
failing to pass the bill during the current Diet session.
DONOVAN