Ballot for permanent residents

A move is gaining momentum among Diet members to give permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local elections. Korean residents have especially been vocal in calling for such rights. Both the ruling and opposition parties should hold thorough discussions aimed at enabling permanent residents to vote for local government heads and assembly members.

In 1998 and 2000, the Democratic Party of Japan submitted bills to the Diet to give permanent residents voting rights, but the bills subsequently died. A similar bill submitted by Komeito in 2005 has been carried over to the current Diet session.

On Jan. 18, Mr. Ichiro Ozawa backed the idea in a meeting with a special envoy of South Korean President-elect Lee Myung Bak. The Democratic Party of Japan leader's statement prompted Komeito and opposition parties to voice their support. The Komeito bill proposes giving permanent residents the right to vote in elections to elect governors, mayors and local assembly members if they are from countries that accord similar rights to their permanent foreign residents, are at least 20 years old and have registered with municipal election management commissions.

Giving permanent residents the right to vote in local elections would increase opportunities for Japanese citizens and foreign residents to jointly discuss ways to improve their communities. It would also enable Japan to reciprocate South Korea's 2005 decision to give permanent foreign residents who are at least 19 years old to vote in local elections. It should also be remembered that most Korean residents in Japan are here as a result of Japan's past colonial rule over Korea.

Strong opposition to giving voting rights to permanent residents exists in the Liberal Democratic Party and among some DPJ members. It should be remembered that in 1995 the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not prohibit giving permanent residents the right to vote in local elections.