Opposition camp submits bill to abolish anti-conspiracy law

December 6, 2017

Tokyo- The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and four other opposition forces in the House of Representatives jointly introduced a bill Wednesday seeking to scrap the so-called anticonspiracy law.

The top opposition CDPJ, the Japanese Communist Party, the Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and a group of Democratic Party members who won the October election of the lower chamber of the Diet as independent hope that their collaboration for abolishing the controversial law would lead to a broader alliance in the opposition camp, people familiar with the matter said.

Despite protests by many opposition parties, the amended organized crime punishment law was railroaded by the ruling coalition in June to criminalize planning and preparations of serious crimes, including terrorist attacks, even before such crimes are committed.

The CDPJ-led team also submitted a bill to tackle gambling addiction problems and another calling for scrapping a law to promote casinos.

Meanwhile, the Party of Hopes did not join the team, as it plans to draw up its own antiterror measures. Jiji Press