61143    However, when we trace the history of how politics have become distant from us, this is where we arrive.

61144    Because we have this misconception that Diet members are "agents" working for regions, individuals, or industries, our electoral system has been reduced to "the best and wisest system but distorted" where those who have bridges and roads built in their own ridings to benefit industries and the like are considered "good Diet members."

61145    As a matter of fact, in its editorial comments the Tokyo Nichi-Nichi Shimbun severely criticized the 1925 Universal Suffrage Law for its substance being nowhere near the standard for the parliamentary system of the world at that time.

61146    This included the exclusion of women from the electorates, the voting age being set too high at the age of 25 or older, and voter qualifications being changed for the worse.

61147    Another thing is that this election law had an important aspect that one might say was the source that created the distortion as we see today.

61148    Election campaigns, which had been unrestricted for the considerable part up to that time, were brought under stiff regulations by partisan interests and strategies.

61149    The banning of door-to-door canvassing that had been incorporated into that law at the time still continues to exist today.

61150    And both candidates and voters have come down to this day without learning or experiencing the know-how of "door-to-door canvassing," which is fundamentally the original form of the election campaign seeking voter support by appealing their policies to the public...

61151    It has been fifty years since the end of World War II and at this juncture Japan has decided to revisit the single-seat consituency system, that is "the original point where the wise system known as the election began."

61152    However, we want to affirm that this system is one that tests the competence of voters on the choosing side.

61153    If we engage ourselves in this electoral system with the existing misconception that Diet members are the people's "agents," it is patently clear that bankrolled elections and politics of influence peddling will spread further, instead of being eliminated.

61154    Conversely, if people demonstrate the strong will to directly control politics and politicians and venture on governing national politics by themselves, we believe that the new system will be effective enough to restore politics.

61155    Before we lament that policy differences among political parties are so ambiguous and there are no real policies, we want to do the following.

61156    Thoroughly evaluate whether or not the candidates possess the "political vision" worthy of being the "people's representatives";

61157    Instead of allowing them to continue to dally away as Diet members when they have shown no proven performance nor insight, consider a term-limit for Diet members; and,