A bill to permit the use of the Internet during election campaigns was passed into law by the Upper House on Friday, clearing the way for more robust online interaction between candidates and voters, beginning with July's House of Councilors poll.
The revision to the Public Offices Election Law will allow political parties and candidates to electioneer online by updating their home pages or blogs and using social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter to post comments, among other things.
The deregulation could revolutionize the nation's stodgy political system, especially for unknown candidates who lack a powerful election machine because online campaigns will enable them to instigate more detailed debates with the electorate, scrutinize the campaign platforms of their opponents and rebut any slanderous accusations without the need for mountains of cash.