Ozawa hints govt-bill on suffrage for foreigners

The secretary general of Japan's governing Democratic Party has hinted that the government may submit a bill granting foreign permanent residents the right to vote in local elections for the Diet early next year.

Ichiro Ozawa on Thursday met Chung Sye Kyun, the leader of South Korea's opposition Democratic Party, who's visiting Japan to attend a memorial event for former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung. Chung strongly called for passage of legislation on foreigners' suffrage.

Ozawa said the government should introduce such a bill, and suggested that the government may do so as early as in next year's ordinary Diet session, but not in the form of lawmaker-sponsored legislation.

Ozawa has been entrusted with handling the issue within the government and the governing party.

The party is studying the possibility of granting foreign permanent residents, many of whom are Koreans, the right to vote in local elections as asked for by South Korea.