Japanese Parliament Panel OKs Bill on Peacekeeping Force

Japan’s ruling party terminated a marathon debate early today on a bill to allow troops to act as U.N. peacekeepers abroad and pushed the measure through a stormy session of a key parliamentary committee.

The opposition Socialists and Communists had refused to take part in the vote by the special upper house committee, saying the measure violated the constitution and required more debate.

Socialists, both members of the committee and colleagues who had crowded the room as observers, rushed to the desk of panel Chairman Shinichiro Shimojo to prevent him from declaring an end to the six-month debate.

But after a scuffle between the Socialists and the assembly’s uniformed sergeants, the bill cleared the committee on a majority vote by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and two centrist parties, LDP officials said.

The Peacekeeping Operations Bill is designed to allow Tokyo to send a 2,000-member army unit to take part in U.N. peacekeeping missions, such as the current one in Cambodia.

The bill now goes to a vote in a plenary session of the 252-member upper house, where the Socialists have vowed to literally drag their feet while going up to the ballot box, thereby ensuring a lengthy session.