election

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

Sept. 11 general election has been set

Following the House of Councilors' rejection of the postal privatization bills on August 8, the Koizumi Cabinet later in the day dissolved the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives general election campaigning will start on August 30 and the voting will take place on September 11.

The Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers' Group on the same day held its general meeting to do their utmost in the snap election.

In the evening, immediately after the dissolution, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo took up a microphone in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo to call on the public to support the JCP as the only reliable opposition party in the coming general election." (See separate item.)

Postal bills scrapped

The postal privatization bills were scrapped on August 8 after the House of Councilors rejected them with 108 votes in favor and 125 votes against. The opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party along with 22 LDP members, voted against.

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro, who described postal services privatization as the centerpiece of his "structural reform" policy, attempted to enact the bills by extending the Diet term many days and intimidating the parliamentary opponents by threatening to dissolve the Lower House.

Bill for supporting self-help of disabled scrapped

The bill to force the disabled to pay 10 percent of the costs for services they receive in the name of support for their "self-help," which was in the House of Councilors for discussion, was automatically scrapped without discussions being completed as a result of the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Disabled people who were carrying out a sit-in in front of the Diet building in protest of the bill were rejoiced at hearing from Koike Akira, Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors member, that the bill was scrapped. -- Akahata, August 9, 2005