Upper house panel passes controversial election reform bill

Self serving scum, they promised (worthless) to reduce the number of tax payer funded leaches and now increase the number. So population decreased and that requires more representatives to be included in the diet? These pusstules are so far removed from reality that they deserve their own box to live in.

Cricky's comment = says it all. .

In a last-ditch effort to hamper the bill's passage, opposition parties submitted a motion of no confidence against Hiroo Ishii, an LDP lawmaker who chaired the panel, which was rejected by the ruling bloc.

Why do they even bother with these no confidence motions, when there's zero chance of them passing in a Diet so firmly under the government's control? I truly loathe the LDP, but if this is the best the opposition can manage no wonder they're not getting anywhere.

What's all this "special quota" nonsense? Does it mean that even if electors all write down the name of one candidate in the PR vote they could end up with someone else?

You can be sure the "special quota" will be filled by sons of the last guy and deadbeats too useless to get themselves elected in the usual manner.

More old boys for the crony club. Here's an idea, make all the extra seats female! And, go one step further by making them all under 40 years old. What the heck is a 'lawmaker' anyway? I've got another name for them, 'seatwarmer'.

Majority rules, Japanese style.