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Japan Clears Way for Emperor to Step Down in 1st Abdication in 200 Years

posted by n1 on Monday June 12 2017, @04:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the game-of-thrones dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

Japan has passed legislation paving the way for 83-year-old Emperor Akihito to abdicate. The law sets the stage for the first abdication of a reigning monarch in two centuries, in a royal family which has a history stretching back 2,600 years.

[...] According to the 1947 Imperial House Law that regulates the line of imperial succession, the emperor cannot step down. The last Japanese monarch to abdicate was Emperor Kokaku, who left in favor of his son back in 1817.

Another issue the Japanese government will discuss is the continuity of the heirs, as women are not allowed to inherit the throne. Additionally, a woman from the imperial family who marries outside the family is then excluded. Akihito has another son, Prince Akishino, and a grandson, Hisahito, aged just 10. All the other members of the royal family are female.

Source: RT

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 12 2017, @10:57AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 12 2017, @10:57AM (#524265)

    and hopefully speed up the process of Australia getting an Australian (non executive) head of state.

    No thank you. I don't see how creating yet another pole of power can help Australia - the prime minister is quite enough thank you.

    Besides, the governors of each state and the governor-general of Australia are Australians and do not govern based on the orders/indications/wishes of UK monarchy - the appointment is made by the queen/king solely by the proposal of the Australian prime-minister [wikipedia.org].

    Why would we need a president? To have a bigger political circus? Isn't what's happening in US enough for "entertainment"?

  • (Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Monday June 12 2017, @11:36AM

    by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Monday June 12 2017, @11:36AM (#524283)

    ...I don't see how creating yet another pole of power can help Australia - the prime minister is quite enough thank you...

    The president without executive powers simply replaces the Queen as head of state - ie they have tea and biscuits with visiting heads of state (or their delegates) - no new pole of power.

    ...the governors of each state and the governor-general of Australia are Australians...

    And they can continue running the swearing at ceremonies for members of Parliament - no change there (apart from standing in for the president instead).

    ...Why would we need a president? To have a bigger political circus? Isn't what's happening in US enough for "entertainment"?

    To be head of state. It's only a circus if the president has any executive powers - no reason they can't be appointed in the same way as the GG.

    --
    It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.