2009 September 30 - October 6 [
POLITICS]
Komei Party in 10-year coalition period helped destroy welfare and peace
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October 4, 2009
The Komei Party in its prefectural representatives’ meeting on October 3 summarized the 10-year ruling coalition it formed with the Liberal Democratic Party in addition to the result of the recent general election in which it suffered a historic defeat.
In the summary, the Komei Party stressed the “achievements” of the LDP-Komei coalition by stating, “Amid the economic crisis, the government could steadily implement necessary measures because of our participation in the ruling coalition.” It went on to say, “Under the ‘Koizumi reform’, we could not fully take a role as a ‘welfare party’,” and, “Putting too much stress on our responsibility as a ruling party, we lost touch with the people.” The argument reflects the idea that the party lost in the general election because it became entangled in the Koizumi “structural reform” policies, which increased poverty and widened social gaps.
Considering the results of the 10-year ruling coalition, the Komei Party can never get away with such a flimsy excuse.
After the end of the cabinet led by former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun’ichiro, then Komei Chief Representative Kanzaki Takenori stated in August 2006, “It is important to continue the ‘structural reform’ policies.” It promoted measures to support major corporations’ “growth strategies.” Holding the banner of a “welfare party,” the Komei Party forcibly carried out the pension payment cut, the introduction of the medical insurance system for people 75 and older, and the adverse revision of the nursing care insurance system as means to carry out the annual 220-billion yen cut in budget growth for social services.
The Komei Party called for the fixed rate tax cuts to be abolished ostensibly to secure the financial resources to make the pension system “endurable for one hundred years”. It is now arguing that a consumption tax increase is necessary for maintaining the pension system.
It claims to be a party for peace in dealing with foreign and security issues, but it has been cooperating all along with the LDP in sending Self-Defense Force troops to Iraq and the Indian Ocean.
Even after the LDP-Komei coalition became a minority force in the House of Councilors in the July 2007 election, it used its two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives to extend the term of the temporary law to dispatch the SDF. This would not have been possible without support from the Komei Party.
The Komei Party participated in the coalition with the LDP claiming that it would stop the LDP’s undemocratic policies. However, far from stopping or even slowing down the implementation of adverse policies, the LDP-Komei coalition government continued to implement adverse policies in return for the “one-time cash handouts” apparently motivated by their partisan interests, undermining living conditions and wishes for peace of the general public. This is what the 10 years of the LDP-Komei coalition government really achieved.
In the recent House of Representatives general election, top Komei Party leaders, including the chief representative and the secretary general, were voted out of the Diet. It became an opposition party along with the LDP. This shows the magnitude of public anger at the LDP-Komei government.
Speaking at an extraordinary national meeting on September 8, Yamaguchi Natsuo, the new chief representative of the Komei Party, stated that during the 10 years of its participation in the coalition with the LDP, the party became more aware of its responsibility for state affairs as it took part in the running of the government and improved its policy-making capabilities.
He proudly spoke about the “gains” that the Komei Party obtained through working in alliance with the LDP.
However, just like the LDP, the Komei Party will have no future if it keeps on refusing to recognize its past misconduct as well as refusing to reflect on the severe public criticism.
- Akahata, October 4, 2009
