March 27, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on March 26 in the Diet building met with House of Representatives member Noda Yoshihiko, who heads the Reviewing Group on Social Security Policy. They agreed to work together to replace the Abe government with a coalition government consisting of opposition parties.

Noda’s group is a circle of Dietmembers which forms a parliamentary group in the Lower House together with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People.

In the meeting, Shii and Noda agreed to make efforts to replace the Abe government with a government that: upholds constitutionalism, democracy, and pacifism based on the Japanese Constitution; addresses social disparities and puts priority to supporting people’s livelihoods: and respects social diversity and individual dignity.

As an immediate goal, the two leaders will back the campaign of Tanaka Ken, who will run as the joint opposition candidate in next month’s House of Representatives by-election in the Shizuoka No.4 electoral district. They will cooperate also in the Tokyo gubernatorial election in the summer and the next Lower House election.

Shii handed to Noda a JCP document explaining how to deal with political issues on which the JCP and its possible coalition partners cannot easily agree upon. Shii said that concerning the issues of the Self-Defense Forces, the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the Emperor system, and socialism, the JCP has different positions with other opposition parties, but the JCP will set aside these differences and focus on common ground when discussing the formation of a coalition government.

In response, Noda said that he understood Shii’s point. Mentioning that his father was an SDF officer, Noda added that he personally thinks that the JCP should take a more positive view of the SDF.

Shii replied that his uncle was also an SDF officer and said, “I admire SDF personnel for their strenuous disaster relief efforts. I will make efforts to make myself clear regarding this point.”

Past related articles:
> JCP and SDP agree to cooperate on forming coalition government [October 18, 2019]
> JCP agrees on cooperation with 'Reiwa' toward creation of coalition gov't of opposition parties [September 13, 2019]