Opposition Demands Explanation On Science Council
Four opposition parties in Japan are urging the government to explain in the Diet why it did not appoint six scholars as members of the Science Council of Japan.
The Diet affairs chiefs of the four parties met on Monday to discuss the issue. The parties are the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party, the Democratic Party for the People and the Social Democratic Party.
The council had submitted a list of 105 nominees to join its membership, but Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide did not approve six of them.
The officials said the refusal infringes on academic freedom and cannot be overlooked.
They agreed to call on Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu and Science and Technology Policy Minister Inoue Shinji to attend Cabinet committee meetings in both the Upper and Lower houses to explain why the six were not appointed, and how the decision was made.
The Diet is not currently in session, but the two panels are scheduled to meet for two days starting on Wednesday.
The Diet affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Azumi Jun, later met his counterpart in the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Moriyama Hiroshi, to convey the demand.
Moriyama said he will discuss the matter with his party.
The council is designated as a special organization under the jurisdiction of the prime minister, but it makes policy proposals independently of the government.
