diet2

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

LDP-split new party inaugurated

Former brass of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who voted against the postal privatization bill, on August 17 formed a new party called the "People's New Party."

Led by former speaker of the Lower House Watanuki Tamisuke, the new party consists of four other members: Kamei Shizuka, former chair of the LDP Policy Research Council; Kamei Hisaoki, former chief of the National Land Agency; Hasegawa Kensei, an Upper House member; and Tamura Hideaki, former member of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan and a Lower House member.

Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo on the same day commented on the new party, figuratively regarding it as just a "storm in a small LDP cup."

Shii pointed out that the five politicians voted against the postal privatization bill but as the new party's leader Watanuki said at a press conference, "We are not dead set against privatization," they are not truly in opposition to the privatization of the postal services.

Shii said, "The LDP and the DPJ are out to destroy postal savings and postal life insurance services. The JCP is out to defend these services and the network of 24,000 post offices across Japan because they are pubic assets. We will fight in the coming general election, taking a clear stance against postal privatization."

DPJ is a pain booster

The JCP has consistently opposed the Koizumi-style "structural reform" since the beginning, criticizing the reform for harming people's livelihoods and the country's economy, and instead called for measures to directly benefit households. The JCP has also opposed a series of adverse revisions of the social welfare program.

In sharp contrast, the DPJ has backed the Koizumi-style "structural reform," arguing that painful reform is unavoidable.

DPJ Leader Okada Katsuya said, "When I first heard the substance of Koizumi's reform, I was really surprised because most of his policies were the same as what the DPJ called for." The DPJ is thus only questioning the failures of these policies. -- Akahata, August 18, 2005