May 22, 2019

The Japanese Communist Party leadership on May 21 met with its counterparts from the Japan Federation of Bar Associations in Tokyo and agreed to defend the pacifist principles of the Constitution and work for a society where everyone can live in peace.

JFBA President Kikuchi Yutaro pointed out that it is highly likely that whether to amend the pacifist Constitution or not will become a major issue in the coming Upper House election. The JFBA president expressed his hope that the JCP will make bipartisan efforts in the election by presenting its argument, which should be clear and convincing to voters, opposing the Liberal Democratic Party proposal for constitutional revision. He also said that people, who are overwhelmed by anxieties and dissatisfaction in their daily lives, can often be trapped by right-wing populism, and called on the JCP to make its utmost efforts to inform the public of its goal to establish a society where everyone can live in peace without anxieties.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in response expressed his approval to a series of JFBA statements expressing concern over the moves to change the Constitution. He stressed that the LDP intends to remove the Self-Defense Forces from constitutional restrictions by in effect invalidating the war-renouncing paragraph 2 of Article 9, and said, “We will work even harder to strengthen public movements involved in the single issue of opposing such an attempt.”

Shii noted that in a statement issued on May 3 to celebrate Constitution Memorial Day, JFBA President Kikuchi wrote about the sharing of respect for individuals and the significance of peace as well as about the protection of basic human rights and the realization of social justice.

Shii said that the JCP in the latest Central Committee Plenum resolved to work to create a society where everyone can live with dignity and established policies to achieve this which include efforts to create a gender-equal society and eliminate discrimination against LGBTQ.

JFBA officials expressed their hope that the JCP will play a role in uniting opposition parties on peace-related issues. They also said that they became well aware of the fact that the JCP has taken a leading role in women’s empowerment in the political arena through various measures, such as the fielding of many female candidates in elections.

The meeting was hosted by the JFBA political league with JFBA President Kikuchi and all 13 Vice presidents, JCP Chair Shii, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira, and its 11 Dietmembers attending.

Past related article:
> JCP and bar association share view that democracy in Japan weakened under Abe regime [ May 18, 2018]