TOKYO - A bill to revise the national referendum law, which sets procedures for constitutional amendments, was approved by the House of Representatives plenary session and is expected to enter deliberation at the House of Councillors Commission on the Constitution on June 24.
The revision bill, submitted by the ruling parties together with the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito, is designed to update the voting environment in line with the current Public Offices Election Law.
The proposed changes include allowing a vote-counting station to be set up locally if ballot boxes cannot be transported to the designated counting site because of bad weather or other circumstances, and easing requirements for selecting observers responsible for checking irregularities.
The bill was put to a vote at the House of Representatives plenary session and passed by a majority, with support from the ruling bloc as well as the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito and Team Mirai.
The bill will now be sent to the House of Councillors, where deliberations are scheduled to begin at the Commission on the Constitution on June 24.
A supplementary resolution also included a provision calling for consideration of issues advocated by opposition parties, including regulations on campaign commercials, and for necessary legislative measures to be taken after such discussions.
Source: TBS
