October 21 and 22, 2011
Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on October 20, the first day of the 179th Extraordinary Session of the Diet stressed that major tasks to push for is the recovery from the 3.11 disaster and the nuclear power plant accident.
At the general meeting of the JCP Dietmembers Group, Shii criticized the government’s plan to fund the post-disaster recovery by forcing the general public to shoulder another financial burden while not touching the huge tax breaks for large corporations. He added that the JCP will seek to get the government to carry out a JCP proposal that financial resources to deal with the Fukushima accident should be secured separately from those needed to meet other post-disaster reconstruction demands.
Shii pointed out that the Noda administration is just attempting to fulfill U.S. demands without considering public opinion and has begun to move to enter into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade pact and bring about the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base within Okinawa. He called on JCP Dietmembers to “hinder such government moves by all means.”
Shii criticized Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko for his intent to impose a consumption tax increase along with cuts in social welfare services in response to the business circle’s request to do so under the guise of a “comprehensive reform of tax and social welfare systems.” “We will increase our effort to launch a large-scale grassroots-based struggle and will hold Diet deliberations to help contribute to the struggle,” he said.
Regarding a discussion about the revision of the House of Representatives electoral system, Shii said, “We will participate in the discussion with the view that the current system should be drastically changed to one centering on the proportional-representation system which most accurately reflects the public will.”
The 51-day session will be closed on December 9.
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All JCP Dietmembers absented themselves from the opening ceremony of the 179th Extraordinary Diet Session held on October 21 at both Houses.
The JCP position is that the current ceremony inherits the practice of the pre-war Imperial Diet under the Constitution of the Emperor of Japan and allows the attendance of the Emperor although the present Constitution declares the people’s sovereignty.
At the general meeting of the JCP Dietmembers Group, Shii criticized the government’s plan to fund the post-disaster recovery by forcing the general public to shoulder another financial burden while not touching the huge tax breaks for large corporations. He added that the JCP will seek to get the government to carry out a JCP proposal that financial resources to deal with the Fukushima accident should be secured separately from those needed to meet other post-disaster reconstruction demands.
Shii pointed out that the Noda administration is just attempting to fulfill U.S. demands without considering public opinion and has begun to move to enter into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade pact and bring about the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base within Okinawa. He called on JCP Dietmembers to “hinder such government moves by all means.”
Shii criticized Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko for his intent to impose a consumption tax increase along with cuts in social welfare services in response to the business circle’s request to do so under the guise of a “comprehensive reform of tax and social welfare systems.” “We will increase our effort to launch a large-scale grassroots-based struggle and will hold Diet deliberations to help contribute to the struggle,” he said.
Regarding a discussion about the revision of the House of Representatives electoral system, Shii said, “We will participate in the discussion with the view that the current system should be drastically changed to one centering on the proportional-representation system which most accurately reflects the public will.”
The 51-day session will be closed on December 9.
* * *
All JCP Dietmembers absented themselves from the opening ceremony of the 179th Extraordinary Diet Session held on October 21 at both Houses.
The JCP position is that the current ceremony inherits the practice of the pre-war Imperial Diet under the Constitution of the Emperor of Japan and allows the attendance of the Emperor although the present Constitution declares the people’s sovereignty.
