The ruling bloc effectively kept its contentious state secrets bill intact, and not subject to independent oversight, though it gave the appearance late Wednesday of compromising with Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) to attach minor requirements on government bodies seeking to classify information.
The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc is hoping to get the bill through the Lower House as early as next week after striking a deal with two midsize parties to bypass the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force. The DPJ opted to submit five of its own bills on amending the secrecy legislation rather than bargain with the ruling camp.
Both the ruling camp and Osaka-based Nippon Ishin boasted that sizable concessions had been made, but the amendments do little to mitigate the potential dangers the bill poses to the public's right know and freedom of the press because they do not mandate the creation of a viable, independent group that can legitimately check the classification process.
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