6/25/2020
Details of 1999 (Gyo-Tsu) 35 | Judgments of the Supreme Court
(2) Candidate-presenting political parties
Candidate-presenting political parties may place an advertisement of
a size of 38.5 centimetres in width and 4-16 columns in length in
relation to the election during the election campaign in one paper
between 8 to 32 times in accordance with the number of candidates
presented by the given political party (Law 149, para.1, Rules Art.19,
para.2).
It is understood that in the advertisement, the name and photograph
of the candidate can be included.
6) Political broadcast and CVs
(1) Candidates
Candidates may not make a broadcast of their political manifesto
(Law Art.151-5).
Concerning the broadcast of the candidate's CV, the Japan
Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts the name, age, political party,
and the gist of the CV at least 10 times by radio and once by
television (Law Art.151, paras. 1 and 2).
(2) Candidate-presenting political parties
Candidate-presenting political parties may broadcast their political
manifesto via the broadcasting installation of the Japan Broadcasting
Corporation and the private broadcasting company in each prefecture
designated by the Minister of Local Self Government at the length
determined in proportion to the number of presented candidates (Law
Art.150, paras. 1 and 4, Order Art.111-4, paras. 1 and 5).
It is understood that in the political broadcast, presented candidates
may appear and can be introduced in the programme.
7) Election Meeting
(1) Candidates
Candidates may hold personal election meetings without restriction
on their number (Law Art.161, para.1, 161-2).
(2) Candidate-presenting political parties
Candidate-presenting political parties may, separately from the
above, hold party election meetings in each constituency where a
candidate was presented, without restriction on its number (Law
Art.161, parta.1, 161-2).
It is understood that in the party election meeting, it is allowed to ask
the voters to vote for the candidate.
Regarding the above, part of the election campaign cost of candidates
concerning 4) and 7) is borne by the official budget, but for
candidate-presenting political parties, there is no such provision.
However, it should be noted that the requirement to qualify as a
candidate-presenting political party is more or less identical to the
requirements for receiving official subsidies for political parties (Law
on the Subsidies for Political Parties, Art.2, para.1, Art.3; Law on the
Granting of Juridical Personality to Political Parties which receive
Official Subsidies, Art.3, para.1, Art.4, para.1), and there is no
restriction on the use of the subsidies for political parties (Law on the
Subsidies for Political Parties, Art.4, para.1), and subsidies can be
used for election campaigns.
4. Appraisal of the differences
By comparing the level of differences and its content based upon the
above, the part of the election campaign which is allowed to
candidate-presenting parties in small constituency elections, which
can be regarded as a top up on the campaign by the candidates
themselves, is more than equal to the election campaign allowed to
the candidates themselves. Particularly, Article 150, para.1, which
allows political broadcasting only to candidate-presenting political
parties in small constituency elections and does not allow it to the
others including candidates, has created a major difference in quality
and quantity between candidates who belong to a candidatepresenting political party and those who do not belong to such
parties.
The reasons for creating such a difference in political broadcasting
are explained by the fact that the constituencies have become
smaller, more candidates than before are expected to stand and, it
has become difficult to provide equal opportunities of political
broadcasting to each candidate, candidate-presenting political parties
have a broader area of election campaign and the use of radio and
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