Japan Press Weekly

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2015 October 14 - 20 [POLITICS]

Lawmakers of five opposition parties in anti-war rally: cooperation needed

Legislators of five opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, on October 18 expressed their determination to work as a unit to repeal the unconstitutional war legislation and received cheers from young protesters converging in front of Shibuya Station for a rally organized by the students group SEALDs.

In the rally, before young people holding placards that read, “Opposition, unite to revoke the war laws!”, parliamentarians of the JCP, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party, and the People’s Life Party delivered speeches in solidarity.

JCP Vice Chair Koike Akira (Upper House) stressed, “When a protest took place on June 27 at this place, the five parties jointly participated in such an event together for the first time. Since then, collaboration among the five parties has developed further. In order to replace the Abe government which is undermining the Constitution with another government, opposition parties have to cooperate in elections.” He explained the JCP proposal for a national coalition government and said, “The JCP took bold steps to respond to young people’s call for protecting democracy and constitutionalism. Let’s work together to make a success of the 21st-Century-style citizens’ revolution!” The rally participants responded with enthusiastic shouts of agreement.

Parliamentarians of the other four opposition parties also expressed their determination for joint efforts. Former SDP leader Fukushima Mizuho, for example, said, “I’ll work hard with other opposition parties to overturn the war legislation.” DPJ Upper House member Fukuyama Tetsuro said, “It is really necessary for opposition parties to join hands to win next summer’s Upper House election.”

After their speeches, when opposition lawmakers again appeared on the campaign van and held their hands together in unity, a yell of joy and a call, “Opposition parties, unite!” rose up from the crowd.

The rally organizer and other speakers in their speeches noted that the joint appearance of leaders of the five opposition parties in the anti-war protests has become standard and the general public is encouraged and expects to see the five parties’ joint actions develop further. They called on the participants to increase their efforts to give the five opposition parties a push to increase their cooperation in joint actions.