Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 December 21 - 2012 January 5 [POLITICS]

DPJ again breaches manifesto by resuming Yamba dam project

“It was regrettable that we could not obtain the outcome as announced in our manifesto, but we had to make this tough decision,” said Infrastructure Minister Maeda Takeshi on December 22 when he announced the resumption of the Yanba Dam construction in Gunma Prefecture, which the Democratic Party of Japan had initially promised to suspend in 2009.

This is the latest breach of the ruling party’s election manifesto, following the violation of other public promises regarding the “relocation” of the U.S. Futenma base in Okinawa, a consumption tax hike, introduction of child allowance, and revision of the Worker Dispatch Law.

In its 2009 general election manifesto, the DPJ pledged to halt the controversial Yanba Dam project. It stressed that 1.3 trillion yen of tax money could be saved by thoroughly revising “out-of-date large public works projects”.

The DPJ government has also decided to start next fiscal year the construction of a 16 km Gaikan Expressway in Tokyo, which has been frozen for 40 years due to residents’ strong opposition.

This project will cost “100 million yen per meter” for a tunnel and an above ground expressway. While approved by the former Liberal Democratic-Komei government in April 2009, it has been suspended under the DPJ-led government.

In September 2009, the DPJ government came into office with voters’ strong expectation for a new direction in politics. However, it has now returned to the former government’s old policy of maintaining cozy ties with the construction industry and promoting wasteful public works projects.