politics3

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

DPJ elects new leader

The Democratic Party of Japan on April 7 elected Ozawa Ichiro as the new DPJ leader at a general meeting of its members in the Diet. Ozawa will serve the remaining term left by his predecessor till the end of September.

Ozawa in a speech before the election stressed that the ﾒDPJ is in a crisisﾓ and that the party must continue its quest for a two-party system and a sharing of political power.

Ozawa has been an advocate of a consumption tax increase, the single-seat constituency system, and a Constitution that provides for the maintenance of the Self-Defense Forces and their missions abroad under a U.N. command.

Asked by reporters to comment on Ozawaﾕs election as the new DPJ leader, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on the same day said, ﾒThe DPJ is now called upon to become an opposition party that will confront the Liberal Democratic Party government.ﾓ

Pointing out that the DPJ under the preceding leadership vied with the LDP for similar policies of deregulation and amending Article 9 to enable Japan to fight wars together with the United States. Ichida said, ﾒWe will see how the new DPJ leadership will address this question and how it will face LDP government policies.ﾓ
- Akahata, April 8, 2006