Japan enacts state secrets law late Friday night amid revolt

(Japan Times) Following political turmoil that rocked the Diet over the past week, ruling block Upper House members finally enacted the contentious state secrets bill late Friday night.

Earlier in the day, opposition parties intensified their protests in vain over a law that’s being criticizing for not creating an independent oversight body capable of preventing the government from hiding inconvenient information at its discretion.

To enact the law, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition on Friday extended the Diet session by two days to secure more time for deliberation and procedures to set up a plenary vote.

The opposition parties, centered on the Democratic Party of Japan, waged a last-ditch effort to delay Diet procedures in protest, including submission of a no-confidence motion in the Lower House and a censure motion in the Upper House against Masako Mori, state minister in charge of the secrets bill.

The DPJ also submitted a no-confidence motion in the Lower House against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later in the day. DPJ President Banri Kaieda argued that just an extension of just two days was far from sufficient to deliberate one of the most contested bills in years.

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