I hereby give My sanction to the Imperial Ordinance concerning the Exceptions of the Imperial Ordinance No. 1 of 1947 (the Imperial Ordinance relating to the exclusion, retirement, etc. in respect of public service) concerning the Orders to be issued in consequence of the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration under the Imperial Ordinance No. 542 of 1945 and cause the same to be promulgated. Signed: HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor This twenty-seventh day of the second month of the twenty-second year of Showa (February 27, 1947) Countersigned: Prime Minister YOSHIDA Shigeru Minister for Home Affairs UEHARA Etsujiro Imperial Ordinance No. 61 The provision of Article 8, paragraph 3 of the Imperial Ordinance No. 1 of 1947 (called the Ordinance hereinafter) shall not apply to the election to be given for the first time to the members of the assembly of the To, Do, Fu, Ken, City, Ward, Town or Village (including those corresponding to the above) since the promulgation of the present Imperial Ordinance. In the case of the election of the preceding paragraph, any person who desires to file the notification of candidacy or the notification of recommendation for a candidate shall present, as the Prime Minister designates, to the Prime Minister through the prefectural governor or to the prefectural governor, the questionnaire of the would-be candidate as prescribed in Article 7, paragraph 1 of the Ordinance. When the prefectural governor has accepted the questionnaire as provided in the preceding paragraph, he shall issue the certificate thereof as the Prime Minister designates. The provision of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to the person who has the certificate of eligibility under the provision of Article 8, paragraph 4 of the Ordinance as prescribed by the Prime Minister. In the case of the election of paragraph 1, any person who desires to file the notification of candidacy or the notification of recommendation for a candidate shall present, attached thereto, to the presiding officer of election a duplicate of the certificate under the provision of paragraph 3 or of the certificate of eligibility as prescribed in the preceding paragraph. Supplementary Provision: The present Ordinance shall come into force as from the day of its promulgation.