Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Arrests Tsubasa Party Members for Violating Election Law

On the 13th, the Investigation Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department 2 arrested the political group “Tsubasano” on suspicion of violating the Public Office Election (Restriction of Freedom) Act for interfering with street speeches by other camps. the Tokyo 15th Ward by-election for the House of Representatives held on April 28. The party’s offices in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo were raided. This was revealed through interviews with investigators.

Other homes searched were the home of Atsuhiko Kurokawa (45), the group’s representative, in Asaka City, Saitama Prefecture, and the home of Ryosuke Nemoto (29), an unsuccessful candidate for the group, in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. . A street propaganda vehicle, loudspeakers, placards, computers and other items were imported.

According to investigators, during the by-election period, Mr. Kurokawa, Mr. Nemoto, and others repeatedly criticized and argued at the location of other camps’ street speeches at such a loud volume that the speeches could not be heard, and also at where there are street talks in other camps He is suspected of obstructing traffic by driving it around in his car. The Metropolitan Police Department is said to have received several other complaints.

Tsubasa Party’s Ryosuke Nemoto speaks to other candidates from a public phone booth in the Tokyo 15th Ward by-election for the House of Representatives on April 16 in Koto Ward, Tokyo.

During the by-election period, the Nemoto camp again engaged in activities that could be seen as sabotage, such as running other camps’ street propaganda vehicles in what they called “car chase”. On April 18, two days after the announcement, the Metropolitan Police Department issued a warning to Kurokawa and others for violating the Public Election Act for interfering with another camp’s election campaign.

After the attack, Kurokawa told reporters, “It’s an illegal search based on pressure.

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◆ The Liberal Democratic Party, Ritmin, and Reform are positive;

On the 13th, the political group Tsubasa no Toi was raided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of violating the Public Elections (Restriction of Freedom) Act regarding a by-election in the 15th Ward of the House of Representatives in Tokyo, and the ruling and the opposition parties were divided about the pros and cons of changing the law. While the Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Restoration Party of Japan expressed positive views on changing the law, Komeito and the Japanese Communist Party argued that the current law should be used.

At a press conference, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi said, “We would like to consider effective measures such as strengthening penalties,” referring to legal revisions. Ishin has already summarized his put together an amendment that clearly mandates restrictive actions, and Policy Research Institute Chairman Shun Otokita posted. He announced that he would consult with all parties.

Ritsumeikan representative Kenta Izumi, who suffered electoral obstruction during the election by being harassed by Tsubasa’s party, told reporters in the Diet “We discussed reform, including specific examples of electoral obstruction and an examination of the degree of punishment. encouraged within the party.” “The content is similar to the ideas of the Meiji Restoration,” he said.

On the other hand, Komeito representative Natsuo Yamaguchi told reporters at the prime minister’s office, “Instead of revising the law suddenly, we will first discuss the current law,” adding expressed the opinion that the interpretation and operation of the current law should be clarified in order to respond to the election interference, the Secretary-General of the Communist Party, emphasized, ” We will respond strictly in accordance with the current public election law and guarantee freedom of speech and election activities.” oppose the current government.” (Nobuko Ohno)

◆ Wakasa’s lawyer: “He went beyond the realm of political activity”

Regarding the recent attack, lawyer Masaru Wakasa, former deputy director of the special investigation division of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office and a member of the House of Representatives, said Tsubasa’s party had asked questions and made arguments using a microphone at a multi-speech centre. candidates, and that the parties had protested. “There is a place to see it as political activity if the speaker makes a short statement at a particular candidate’s speech venue, but it goes beyond the realm of political activity because it is done by several candidates he found because they were thought it was big.”

On the other hand, he pointed out that the reason why the house was searched more than two weeks after the votes were counted on April 28 was “probably due to careful consideration”. “It is difficult to judge which part of a candidate’s behavior constitutes an election violation, and it would be a problem if the police made an arbitrary judgment. the numerical value of the volume and the level at which it begins and ends. (Nakasangake)

Yes