Hatoyama suggests giving foreigners local voting rights in near future

TOKYO, Oct. 22 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated Thursday that his government would
consider legislating in the near future to give permanent foreign residents in
Japan the right to vote in local elections, possibly during the regular Diet
session next year.
''We are not yet in a situation where a bill has been prepared, and therefore
it would be fairly difficult (to introduce one) in the next Diet session,'' he
told reporters, referring to the extraordinary session that will begin Monday.
Hatoyama noted, however, that it is possible to consider submitting such a bill
to parliament ''as an issue in the near future.''
Japan does not allow permanent residents with foreign nationalities, such as
those of Korean descent, to vote in local elections, much less in national
ones, despite strong calls among such residents for the right on the grounds
that they too pay taxes as local residents.
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan and other parties have repeatedly
submitted bills to the Diet to grant such residents the right for years, but
the bills died each time due to opposition from the then ruling Liberal
Democratic Party and others.
At a meeting between Hatoyama and other DPJ lawmakers on Thursday, DPJ Diet
affairs chief Kenji Yamaoka proposed considering submitting the bill to the
Diet, saying that New Komeito, an opposition party, is considering doing so in
the upcoming Diet session.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, a DPJ lawmaker who also attended the
meeting, said at a news conference he would consider Yamaoka's proposal but
noted that time may be short given that the upcoming extra session will run
only for 36 days.
He also said it is necessary to hold discussions within his party.
''If we are going to go in that direction, we need (discussions) within the
party,'' the top government spokesman said. ''There are more than 140 freshmen
lawmakers, and so it is necessary to discuss the matter well within the party,
including about how it has developed.''
DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa said last month that he hoped to see
progress made on the matter during the regular session, which begins early next
year.
For his part, Hatoyama said after meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung
Bak in Seoul earlier this month that he would give positive consideration to
such legislation.
Many permanent residents of Korean descent in Japan hold South Korean
nationality, and Lee has been calling for Japan to give them voting rights.
The People's New Party, one of the DPJ's two junior coalition partners, has
opposed giving foreign residents voting rights in local elections.
==Kyodo