 Kakushinkon calls for a major campaign to defend the Constitution The National Forum for Peace, Democracy, and Progressive Unity (Kakushinkon) held its 25th assembly on June 11 in Tokyo. Participants talked about various efforts they have made throughout Japan to increase the movement against a revision of the Constitution. Board member Sekimoto Tatsumi proposed a plan of action for the coming year. She said that the movement to block constitutional revision can pave the way for changing Japanese politics to a citizens-oriented one and that to develop Kakushinkon activities through this movement will help empower the movement for political change. A representative of Ibaraki Kakushinkon reported that they organized a meeting on the Constitution in April with about 1,300 people participating and that its success motivated Kakushinkon members to found Kakushinkon local branches within the prefecture. A former city assembly member in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, shared his effort to build the Article 9 Association with other former assembly members of different political affiliations. Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi, who is also a national board member of Kakushinkon, spoke about the "interesting current situation of politics" revealing the true nature of the "two-party system," and said, "Now is the time for Kakushinkon to increase actions." Kakushinkon is an organization to help develop grass-roots efforts working for progressive change in politics. - Akahata, June 12, 2005 |