September 11, 2007
The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat on September 9 issued the following communique on the JCP Central Committee 5th Plenum held on September 8 and 9:
(1) The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee held its 5th Plenum on September 8-9 at the JCP head office.
(2) JCP Chair Shii Kazuo gave the report on behalf of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee report stated the results of and lessons learned from the House of Councilors elections.
It confirmed that the JCP’s political debate during the election campaign contributed to driving Liberal Democratic Party politics into a corner, exerting real power in influencing the post-election political situation. It also stated that the JCP Central Committee had a weakness in taking the initiative for increasing the effort to make the JCP policy for remaking Japan known to as many people as possible. As important lessons from the JCP election campaign in general, the report pointed out that the JCP failed to exert all its power in the proportional representation election and that the party lacked power to pave the way for its advances in defiance of adversity.
Secondly, the report stated the role of the JCP in advancing the new political process that began following the election. It set forth concrete tasks of the party in actively dealing with pressing issues and proposed a major effort to talk about the JCP Program and about the future of Japan with the public.
Thirdly, the report put forward a policy for the next House of Representatives election and set the goal of winning more than 6.5 million votes in the House of Representatives election as well as in the House of Councilors election.
The report proposed a change in the election campaign policy to put more energy in the proportional representation elections. Under the proposed plan, the JCP in the House of Representatives election will put up candidates in single-member constituencies where the party received more than 8 percent of the votes cast in the House of Councilors proportional representation election and where the party can run a candidate who is capable of carrying out day-to-day activities as a candidate. The plan also requires the party in every prefecture to run a candidate in at least one constituency.
Finally, the report raised five points that the party should keep in mind in building a party that can win parliamentary elections, based on the lessons drawn from the recent House of Councilors election and on the party’s efforts since the JCP 24th Congress.
(3) In the discussion, 37 members spoke on the Executive Committee report.
(4) Chair Shii summed up the discussion in the concluding remarks. He emphasized that the Executive Committee report’s review of the House of Councilors election and its proposal for new policies corresponding to the emerging political situation should be taken as inseparable elements and that the proposed policies for election campaigns and those for party buildup are closely related to the review of the House of Councilors election. Shii spoke about the substance and methods concerning the proposed effort to talk publicly about the JCP Program and the future of Japan.
He emphasized that the proposed points for the party’s struggle in single-member constituencies should be discussed in depth at each party organization before deciding on their candidacy. He further discussed some important points concerning how the proposed new policy should be implemented. He stressed that achieving JCP advances in line with the policies put forward by the Executive Committee report is the foundation for the JCP to make progress in all its activities. He also spoke about ways to bring all party members home to the decision of the Central Committee 5th Plenum.
The plenum unanimously adopted the Executive Committee report and the concluding remarks, and pledged to make efforts to implement the JCP Central Committee 5th Plenum decisions to achieve a JCP victory in the next House of Representatives general election.
(1) The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee held its 5th Plenum on September 8-9 at the JCP head office.
(2) JCP Chair Shii Kazuo gave the report on behalf of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee report stated the results of and lessons learned from the House of Councilors elections.
It confirmed that the JCP’s political debate during the election campaign contributed to driving Liberal Democratic Party politics into a corner, exerting real power in influencing the post-election political situation. It also stated that the JCP Central Committee had a weakness in taking the initiative for increasing the effort to make the JCP policy for remaking Japan known to as many people as possible. As important lessons from the JCP election campaign in general, the report pointed out that the JCP failed to exert all its power in the proportional representation election and that the party lacked power to pave the way for its advances in defiance of adversity.
Secondly, the report stated the role of the JCP in advancing the new political process that began following the election. It set forth concrete tasks of the party in actively dealing with pressing issues and proposed a major effort to talk about the JCP Program and about the future of Japan with the public.
Thirdly, the report put forward a policy for the next House of Representatives election and set the goal of winning more than 6.5 million votes in the House of Representatives election as well as in the House of Councilors election.
The report proposed a change in the election campaign policy to put more energy in the proportional representation elections. Under the proposed plan, the JCP in the House of Representatives election will put up candidates in single-member constituencies where the party received more than 8 percent of the votes cast in the House of Councilors proportional representation election and where the party can run a candidate who is capable of carrying out day-to-day activities as a candidate. The plan also requires the party in every prefecture to run a candidate in at least one constituency.
Finally, the report raised five points that the party should keep in mind in building a party that can win parliamentary elections, based on the lessons drawn from the recent House of Councilors election and on the party’s efforts since the JCP 24th Congress.
(3) In the discussion, 37 members spoke on the Executive Committee report.
(4) Chair Shii summed up the discussion in the concluding remarks. He emphasized that the Executive Committee report’s review of the House of Councilors election and its proposal for new policies corresponding to the emerging political situation should be taken as inseparable elements and that the proposed policies for election campaigns and those for party buildup are closely related to the review of the House of Councilors election. Shii spoke about the substance and methods concerning the proposed effort to talk publicly about the JCP Program and the future of Japan.
He emphasized that the proposed points for the party’s struggle in single-member constituencies should be discussed in depth at each party organization before deciding on their candidacy. He further discussed some important points concerning how the proposed new policy should be implemented. He stressed that achieving JCP advances in line with the policies put forward by the Executive Committee report is the foundation for the JCP to make progress in all its activities. He also spoke about ways to bring all party members home to the decision of the Central Committee 5th Plenum.
The plenum unanimously adopted the Executive Committee report and the concluding remarks, and pledged to make efforts to implement the JCP Central Committee 5th Plenum decisions to achieve a JCP victory in the next House of Representatives general election.
