JCP chair calls for a party to play activist role in struggle for defending peace and living conditions

JCP Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo said on October 19 that the JCP
must exert a stronger activist role in organizing the people's struggle to
defend peace and the people's living conditions.

This was one of the main issues raised in his report on behalf of the JCP
Executive Committee to the JCP's 3rd Plenum held on October 19 and 20. The
Executive Committee report was followed by a statement by JCP Central
Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo, who expanded on the key issues raised by Shii.

The main points of the Executive Committee report are: international
terrorism and the JCP position on this; struggles to defend the people's
living conditions; analysis of the recent election campaign; and the task of
building a powerful JCP.

International terrorism

Emphasizing the need for the international community to establish its
firm unity in the effort to eliminate international terrorist groups, Shii
called for an immediate halt to the U.S.-led retaliatory war, saying that
U.N.-led non-military steps must be taken instead to bring the terrorists to
justice.

Shii said the JCP will take the lead in the struggle together with the
broad strata of society against enactment and implementation of a law to
allow Self-Defense Forces units to take part in the retaliatory war.

People's living conditions

In view of the unprecedented worsening of the people's living conditions,
Shii said that now is the time for the JCP to play an activist role in
organizing the struggle to defend the well-being of the public.

Party building efforts

Shii said that the biggest lesson drawn from the JCP' House of
Councilors election campaign is that the JCP must construct a party "strong
enough to make advances" even in the face of the "sudden gust of adverse
wind which followed the establishment of the Koizumi Cabinet."

Shii proposed that the JCP set a half-year time period for "special
united efforts to increase members and Akahata readership." Top priority
will be given to receive as many new members among young people as possible.

The JCP CC calls for utilizing the whole party's wisdom and strength to
make the Special Campaign a success. Let's make an epochal advance in
constructing an undaunted party that will be able to overcome any sudden
political turmoil.

Fuwa speaks

In his statement, Fuwa insisted that the world must mobilize its wisdom
and efforts to effectively eliminate international terrorist acts. He also
discussed the significance of a new call for the party to launch an activist
role in organizing the struggle to defend the well-being of the people.

The success of the "special united efforts" will contribute to
establishing the JCP's strength in the 21st century, Fuwa stated. (For
Fuwa's speech, see separate item.) (end)