What's wrong with prior consultation?

My opinion of this week(548):

According to a recent news, DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) decided to accept to make a prior consultation with ruling parties to form a common policy on the amendment of political fund law. DPJ must have accepted to make preparatory consultation on this issue for ruling parties agreed to accept some fundamental principles which both ruling and opposition fronts insisted to put into amendment of the law. It seems to be a good move.

The problem is that DPJ is still against to make any prior conference with ruling parties on the new oil supply law which replace the Anti Terrorism Law which expires on November 1. DPJ says that they are against to make any prior consultation on the new law so far as the government does not present several basic facts on the activities of oil supply made by Maritime Self-Defense Force at Indian Ocean. I can see the reason why DPJ resist to make any prior conference which ruling fronts request to make prior to formal discussion at the diet session which starts next week.

But many people cannot understand why DPJ is so inflexible to make any prior consultation on this very important issue regardless the fact that they may not change their disagreement with the new law. I agree with such feeling of general public in many ways.

Some DPJ law makers often compare the prior consultation to bid-rigging. I agree with the principle that any of bid-rigging sort of actions or easy give and take negotiation must be rejected in any of such prior talks on such many of important policies. But if it is urnest and serious talks, there is no reason why DPJ oppose to make any of such prior consensus building which is very necessary for making any democratic decision in political world. Such consensus building process is often refer to as Nemawashi in Japanese word which seems to be a good traditional Japanese style of consensus building.

Any of such prior, informal discussion is required at any political worlds in any countries as a matter of facts. It is not a special kind of process in Japanese political world.

Any of such prior consultation in various styles is entirely different from any bid-rigging sort of process which is necessary to make any democratic decision making at diet as well. I would suggest DPJ to be more flexible to accept offers on any prior talks from ruling fronts including the oil supply law.

2007/10/20
Tadashi HAYASE