Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2018 April 25 - May 8 [POLITICS]

JCP intends to advance joint efforts also with newly-formed political party: Koike

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on May 7 said, "In order to build true collaboration among opposition parties as a way to oust the present government, the JCP will promote talks also with the new party."

Koike responded in this way when asked to comment on the newly-inaugurated Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) during a news conference held in the Diet building. He told the press that the JCP will encourage cooperation among the six opposition parties' actions in the Diet.

Earlier on the day, the Democratic Party and the Party of Hope were merged to establish the DPFP which is made up of 39 Lower House and 23 Upper House members. Otsuka Kohei of the former DP and Tamaki Yuichiro of the former PH will co-head the new party.

JCP Koike also told the reporters that in future elections, "authentic cooperation is essential" for a coalition between opposition parties and concerned citizens to defeat the ruling parties (Liberal Democratic Party, Komei Party) and their supplementary force, and said, "The opposition parties must unify behind one candidate in single-seat constituencies."

He further said, "If the new party is seriously willing to confront the LDP-Komei alliance, they will seriously consider this invitation. The JCP will watch to see if the new party cooperates with the joint struggles engaged in by the opposition parties and citizens' movement."

According to the DPFP policy guideline, it objects to recognizing in Article 9 of the Constitution the Self-Defense Forces as long as restrictions on Japan's use of the collective self-defense right remain unclear. Regarding the security legislation, the so-called war laws, the DPFP policy calls for undertaking necessary revisions and delete text deemed to be unconstitutional based on the principle of respecting the principle of pacifism in the existing Constitution and maintaining the principle of exclusively defensive defense.

Past related articles:
> Lawmakers of 6 opposition parties call for protection of sexual harassment victim and TV Asahi [April 21, 2018]
> 6 opposition parties jointly submit bill to revive seed act [April 20, 2018]
> 6 opposition parties: Cover-up of documents regarding SDF’s mission in Iraq should be top of Diet agenda [April 6, 2018]
> Koike calls for 6 opposition parties’ joint effort to dig out truth behind ‘Moritomo’ scandals [March 30, 2018]
> 6-party unification forces PM Abe to give up expansion of discretionary work system [March 2, 2018]
> 6 opposition parties agree to unite against Abe’s labor deregulation move [February 22, 2018]
> Opposition party lawmakers lodge protest with US Embassy against repeated US military-caused accidents in Okinawa [February 3, 2018]