Photo/Illutration Ito Mayor Maki Takubo, left, hands a document notifying the city assembly’s dissolution to Hiromichi Nakajima, right, the council’s chairman, in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 10. Yoshihiro Aoki, the council’s vice chairman, stands beside him. (Noboru Tomura)

Two mayors have dissolved municipal assemblies after receiving no-confidence votes from the councils.

In December, Kohei Nagano, then mayor of Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, dissolved the city assembly. Maki Takubo, mayor of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, did the same on Sept. 10.

Both actions are unjustified.

The dissolution of local assemblies should be reserved for limited circumstances, such as resolving policy or administrative conflicts. When exercising this power, the heads of local governments must also offer a reason to convince voters.

The Ito city assembly passed a no-confidence motion against Takubo after a special investigative committee determined that she had “intentionally falsified” her academic credentials.

Takubo listed herself as a graduate of Toyo University on a background survey submitted to media outlets during the mayoral election. The information was published by The Asahi Shimbun and other newspapers.

The city’s public relations magazine also listed the same academic credential after her election. In reality, however, she had been removed from the university.

Takubo has refused to submit documentation that she claimed was her “diploma” to the city assembly, failing to fulfill her duty of accountability.

If she intended to remain in office, she should have resigned before the no-confidence vote, explained herself fully during a subsequent mayoral election and obtained a new mandate from the electorate.

Article 178 of the Local Autonomy Law grants the authority to dissolve the assembly to the heads of local governments who receive votes of no confidence. If the leaders do not exercise this right, they automatically lose their position.

This provision is designed to resolve intractable conflicts between the head of a local government and the assembly by letting voters decide the matter in an election.

Even if the assembly is dissolved, the heads of local governments lose their position upon receiving a second no-confidence vote from the newly elected assembly, which is followed by a new election for the leader’s post.

Under the “dual representation system” of local government, where both the executive head and the assembly are elected representatives of residents, prolonged absence of either body can lead to administrative stagnation and adversely impact citizens’ lives.

The heads of local governments are not allowed to abuse their power to dissolve the assembly if a no-confidence motion stems from their personal misconduct. The proper course is to seek the public’s verdict through an election for the leader’s post. 

Last year, Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito chose to lose his office rather than dissolve the prefectural assembly after receiving a no-confidence vote over a scandal triggered by a whistleblower’s accusations. A gubernatorial election was subsequently held.

In Kishiwada, Nagano received a no-confidence motion after it was learned that he had been sued by a woman with whom he had maintained a sexual relationship and had reached a settlement through an apology and a payment.

Nagano dissolved the assembly, lost his office following a second no-confidence vote from the newly elected council and failed to win a mayoral election this spring. Turmoil persisted, forcing the city to operate on a stopgap budget.

According to the internal affairs ministry, there were seven cases of the head of a local government dissolving an assembly following a no-confidence motion between fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2022. Reasons ranged from policy disputes to harassment allegations against leaders.

When the head of a local government faces a no-confidence vote, is dissolving the assembly truly an appropriate response? How should this power be exercised?

It is vital to hold broad discussions, involving voters, on how this system can be better utilized.

At the same time, heads of local governments are called on to make humble and sound decisions and fulfill their responsibility to provide thorough explanations.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 11

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