It is truly an outrage destroying a democratic government.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to pass the fiscal 2026 budget in the Diet by the end of this month.

To meet that goal, the chairman of the Lower House Budget Committee has used his power to decide the deliberation schedule without the consent of the opposition.

The strong-armed tactics of the ruling coalition are evident, and five opposition parties have taken the unusual step of asking the Lower House speaker for cooperation in securing sufficient deliberation time.

Reflecting as much as possible the diverse public will is the very foundation of democracy that is now being threatened.

Rather than insist on passing the budget in the current fiscal year, Takaichi should expediently order the compilation of a provisional budget restricted to expenditures with a direct effect on the daily lives of the people.

By securing adequate deliberation time, a process must be put in place to revise and resolve the many problems and questions regarding budget-related legislation.

In their request, the opposition stressed that the Diet is not a subcontracting agency of the government.

On the other hand, the ruling coalition is considering allotting about 50 hours of deliberation time in the Lower House. That is less than the 66 hours or so that was the lowest over the past 20 years.

The budget is a record 122 trillion yen ($768 billion).

Social security expenditures make up about 30 percent due to the aging population.

Defense expenditures also exceed 9 trillion yen for the first time.

Debt servicing expenses are also much higher due to the increase in the interest rate.

The bill to revise the taxation system that supports revenues calls for first cutting taxes and there are many items for which the revenue source has not yet been set.

It goes without saying that serious debate is necessary over a wide range of policies as well as for the bill on special government bonds that comes up once every five years to allow for the issuance of deficit-covering bonds.

There are many points requiring debate, such as whether the revision for medical care and pharmaceutical expenses that will increase the burden on patients is appropriate.

Another issue is whether the government has fully explained the proposal to secure revenue sources to cover the increased defense spending by diverting some of the reconstruction special income tax revenue that was designated for recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Another concern is the proper nature of the special government bond bill on which the opposition before the Lower House election had called for annual approval.

Referring to the Iran situation, Takaichi said she was rushing to pass the budget to increase its foreseeability.

But the foreseeability will more likely be increased after sufficient deliberations are made to highlight the problem areas.

The Centrist Reform Alliance, the Democratic Party for the People and other opposition parties in calling for the compilation of a provisional budget have also included a proposal to make senior high schools tuition-free from April.

That is a highly unusual step because a new program will be included in the provisional budget, but the ruling coalition and opposition should find some way to quickly construct the base to return Diet deliberations to normal.

There are past examples of compiling provisional budgets.

Then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2013 and 2015 did so because the ordinary budget compilation had been delayed due to the Lower House elections that were held the previous December.

That action was designed to secure adequate Diet deliberation time.

Takaichi should be aware that if she pushes through budget passage this month she will greatly hurt the role of the Diet and the significance of careful deliberation that is the foundation of democracy.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 6

© The Asahi Shimbun