National Diet

Kokkai (Japanese国会, German "parliament ", " National Assembly ") is the bicameral parliament Japanese. The National Parliament Building (国会 议事堂, Kokkai - gijido ) is available in Nagatacho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.

Composition and duties

The parliament consists of two elected houses:

  • The Shūgiin has 480 members, elected for a four year term.
  • The Sangiin has 242 members whose term of office expires six years. Every three years, half of the deputies are elected.

The prime minister must be a member of Kokkai and is often the leader of the largest party in the Shūgiin. Also, most other members of the Cabinet are members of parliament. The prime minister has the right to dissolve the Shūgiin and to arrange for early elections. From this law, the prime minister of the postwar era have always exercised with one exception ( 1976), four votes of no confidence led to early elections. The Sangiin can not be resolved.

In the legislative process applies in principle that both chambers must agree on a bill, but the Shūgiin may overrule the Sangiin in some important questions.

Relations between the two chambers

Grasp the two chambers of different decisions on a bill, the election of the Prime Minister, the ratification of an international treaty, the budget or a constitutional amendment, it may ( or depending on the item must ) A Joint Conciliation Committee ( ryōin Kyogikai ,両 院 协议 会) be convened, which may try to work out a compromise.

Unlike the largely equal both chambers of the Diet the Shūgiin has under the postwar constitution but on important issues an overweight and can Sangiin overrule: in the choice of the Prime Minister, the ratification of international treaties and the budget with a simple majority, in other legislation ( including key budget -related laws ) where appropriate, a two-thirds majority. From the approval of the Parliament based staffing nominations of government (eg, Central Bank Governor, members of the Public Safety Commission ) and constitutional amendment proposals in any case require the consent of both chambers.

While the LDP dominance of the 1950s to the 1980s, the ruling party controlled both chambers, as a rule - albeit temporarily numerically for the first time only with the help of non-party deputies and from 1983 a coalition partner. A clear opposition majority in the House of Lords against the government had for the first time after the 1989 Sangiin - choice - the situation that the two chambers are controlled by different majorities is referred to as nejire Kokkai ( " Twisted Parliament "). This occurred since then repeated least between 2010 and 2013.

Sessions

The annual regular session of the Kokkai starts since the 1990s in January and is regularly 150 days but can be renewed once. In the summer and autumn ( " extraordinary Parliament "临时 会, rinjikai, often Rinji Kokkai, ) can by the Cabinet or a quarter of the deputies extraordinary meetings are convened, whose length is decided between the two chambers and can be renewed twice. After Sangiin elections or by - elections Shūgiin after a full four -year term (previously only in 1976 ) will be also extraordinary meetings together. After dissolution and new elections of Shūgiin meets a special meeting (特别 会, tokubetsukai, often tokubetsu Kokkai, "Special Parliament " ), whose beginning is usually the President and Vice President and Prime Minister of the Shūgiin be selected. These may be renewed twice. Is this Shūgiin dissolved, the Kokkai can not be convened; in urgent cases, the Cabinet can an emergency meeting ( kinkyū Shukai紧急 集会) of Sangiin convened to take important decisions. This happened twice so far: 1952 to determine members of the Central Electoral Supervisory Commission and in 1953 to adopt a provisional budget and some bills.

Current majorities

In the election of 2012 won Liberal Democratic Party and Kōmeitō together a two-thirds majority in Shūgiin and form the government coalition. In Sangiin they possessed since 2007 does not have a majority, but these could recover in the election in July 2013.

  • Opposition (DPJ, Ishin, Minna, CPY, Seikatsu, SDP, Midori no Kaze, Daichi, non-party ): 154
  • Government (LDP, Kōmeitō ): 326
  • Opposition (DPJ, Minna, CPY, Ishin, SDP, Seikatsu, Kaikaku, Shadaitō, non-party ): 107
  • Government (LDP, Kōmeitō ): 135

History

With the Meiji Constitution of the Reichstag was set up according to models of the Prussian Landtag and the British parliament and first met on 29 November 1890. He was besides the Shūgiin from the Kizokuin, the manor house. With the entry into force of the postwar constitution 1947 Kizokuin was replaced by the selected Sangiin and the place of the Reichstag came today Kokkai.

The current Parliament building, opened in 1936, is - executed in reinforced concrete - in contrast to the three temporary wooden predecessors.

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