Just 16% of Japan assembly heads open to foreigner referendum voting

Just 16 percent of prefectural and municipal assembly leaders in Japan believe there should be further debate on whether to grant foreign residents the vote in local referendums, results of a Kyodo News survey showed Thursday, with many citing a need for care in approaching the issue.Individuals without Japanese citizenship are not permitted to vote in elections, but local governments have the power to introduce ordinances allowing them a say in referendums.But responses from the survey on forms of local participation for foreign residents showed that 56 percent of assembly leaders polled f…READ FULL ARTICLE