Japan Press Weekly

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2011 July 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

PM should declare swift withdrawal from nuclear energy: Ichida

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said on July 13 that what the prime minister should declare is a swift withdrawal from nuclear power generation.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Kan Naoto announced that Japan should gradually reduce its dependence on nuclear energy and become a society that does not rely on it in the future.

Kan’s declaration shows that he had to change his pro-nuclear position to a certain degree, Ichida pointed out. He added that this change has been brought about by the mounting public pressure calling for an end to nuclear power generation and the JCP’s continuous proposals in this regard, in addition to the situation following the Fukushina nuclear accident.

Referring to the prime minister’s remark, “I strongly felt that atomic energy technology cannot be controlled,” Ichida said, “If he says so, he must present a specific timetable” to put an end to nuclear power generation.