Election manifestos of DPJ, LDP, and Komei are almost carbon-copies

Japan Press Weekly

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

Election manifestos of DPJ, LDP, and Komei are almost carbon-copies

In their policies for the upcoming House of Councilors election issued on June 17, the Democratic, Liberal Democratic, and Komei parties expressed their intent of pushing for further corporate tax cuts and another consumption tax rate increase, which will further increase poverty and economic inequalities.

This highlights the danger that the three parties intend to form a coalition to increase the consumption tax rate.

Regarding a consumption tax hike, Prime Minister Kan Naoto (DPJ President) at a news conference following the announcement of the DPJ election manifesto said, "I want to consider as one of the options, the LDP's proposal to increase the consumption tax rate to ten percent." The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) also demands a five percent increase in the consumption tax.

The DPJ election manifesto clearly states, "With the aim of achieving a prompt agreement, we will begin non-partisan negotiations." The LDP's manifesto states that the consumption tax rate should be raised to ten percent at first and that the party will set up "a non-partisan forum to gain the public consensus to achieve."

As for the corporate tax rate, both the DPJ and Komei plan to reduce it to a degree while the LDP calls for a 20 percent decrease.

Regarding the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futema Air base in Okinawa, the DPJ position is to promote the relocation in accordance with the recent Japan-U.S. agreement.

Even the LDP in its election manifesto does not use the word, "Futenma," and justifies the existence of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa in the name of "maintaining deterrence." In addition, the LDP's manifesto announces that it promotes a construction of a new U.S. base in the Henoko district in Nago City in order to achieve "a steady implementation of the U.S. forces realignment plan."

Asked by reporters on the same day of the publication of their manifestos, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo criticized the DPJ for claiming that a corporate tax reduction is needed to create what it calls a "strong economy" and for announcing an increase in the consumption tax as the core of its policies promoting "robust public finance."

Shii also said, "In the upcoming House of Councilors election, the JCP will appeal to voters to change the government's pro-business economic policy to the one supporting people's livelihoods."

- Akahata, June 18, 2010