Under pressure from nationalist environments, the city of Musashino rejected a Mayor project to allow foreigners to express themselves during local referendums.
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The rejection, Tuesday, December 21, under pressure from the nationalist circles, the proposal of the City of Musashino (Kanto) to grant the right to vote to foreigners, for local referendums, reflects a persistent distrust of Japan vis- to the nationals who have come from elsewhere, exacerbated since the beginning of the Pandemic of Covid-19. “Some people considered that the proposal did not convince citizens,” said Euphemism Reiko Matsushita, the Mayor of Musashino, after the failure of his project, supported by progressive, democratic and communist training.
According to the text, presented on November 12, the referendums had to be open to foreigners over the age of 18 residing for more than three months in the municipality of 150,000 inhabitants in western Tokyo, known for its lively district of Kihijoji. M me Matsushita wanted to “realize a multicultural society” and saw “no reason to exclude foreigners” of these consultations, whose result does not result in any legal obligation. She had clarified that her project did not give the right to vote for foreigners for elections. Such a system is already in place in Zushi, south of Tokyo, and to Toyonaka, in the west of the country.
Old debate, but rare progress
At the announcement of M me