Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 1 - 7 [POLITICS]

JCP resolves to open a new page in Japanese politics through July Upper House election

Akahata editorial

Following the end of the 190th ordinary session of the Diet, the focus of Japanese politics shifted to the House of Councilors election slated to be held on July 10. In September 2015, the government led by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo bulldozed through the war legislation. Since then, PM Abe has indicated his strong intention to revise the Constitution and escalated an anti-people stance. Regarding economic policies, although “Abenomics” has greatly damaged if not ruined people’s livelihoods, the prime minister shows no intent to take responsibility for that. The Abe government is no longer qualified to steer Japanese politics. In the coming Upper House election, it is necessary to drive the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties and their supportive forces like the Initiative from Osaka (Osaka Ishin no Kai) into a minority position in the Diet. In addition, it is important for Japanese Communist Party members to work hard for success in opposition parties’ cooperation in all 32 single-seat constituencies and to win JCP seats in proportional representation blocs as well as in multi-seat districts.

Joint opposition candidates put up in all 32 single-seat districts

In the forthcoming Upper House election which will contest half of the 242 seats in the chamber, the Japanese Communist, the Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s Life parties decided to field joint candidates in all 32 single-seat constituencies. This decision was made based on an agreement that the four opposition parties concluded in February. In the agreement, they share the goal of repealing the national security laws (war laws) and the Cabinet decision to enable Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense. They also agreed to bring down the Abe administration, and promote cooperation in national elections as much as possible.

Aiming to create a new government, the four opposition parties will jointly conduct election campaigns nationwide. This is an unprecedented move in postwar Japan’s political history. It is the grassroots anti-war movement that has contributed to producing such a move.

The central pillar of the 32 joint candidates’ election promises is to abolish the security-legislation and restore constitutionalism. Additionally, they will work to put an end to “Abenomics” which damages people’s living conditions and increases poverty and social inequalities as well as to the government which arrogantly refuses to listen to people’s objections to various issues, such as the TPP and base problems in Okinawa. They also promise to resist the Abe administration’s attempt to alter the Constitution. These are, in essence, the content of 15 bills that the four opposition parties together submitted to the Diet.

With the four opposition parties having agreed on joint candidates in all single-seat constituencies, it is becoming even clearer that the landscape of the upcoming House of Councilors election will be a head-on fight between “the four opposition parties and citizens” and “the ruling bloc and its supplementary forces”. In the April Lower House by-election in the 5th Hokkaido District, opposition parties’ joint candidate with support from a wide range of citizens almost defeated the LDP-Komei rival who managed to win with a very narrow margin. This has aroused hope for political change in the minds of the general public and motivated them to join in a movement influencing politics.

The JCP will strive hard to achieve the victories of the 32 joint candidates, obtain more than 8.5 million votes in securing nine seats in proportional representation blocks, and win JCP seats in all multi-seat constituencies. The JCP has been confronting the Abe government’s reckless policies, fostering cooperation among political parties and civic groups, and making efforts to establish the opposition parties’ alliance. Presenting a vision of an alternative to the Abe government, the JCP does its utmost for a government change through joint efforts. The victories of joint opposition candidates and a JCP advance in the election will change Japanese politics as we have come to know it.

Open up door for new politics

It is not easy for the JCP to win seats not only in single-seat constituencies, but also in multiple-seat districts and proportional representation blocks. Feeling a growing sense of crisis, the ruling LDP and Komei are denigrating the four opposition parties’ cooperation as an unprincipled coalition. However, this criticism totally misses the point. The opposition parties are working together for a national cause of repealing the unconstitutional war laws and restoring constitutionalism. Further efforts are called for to defeat the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties and its supplementary forces and to bring down the Abe government. The Upper House election will be held under a situation where Japan faces the biggest turning point in its postwar history. The need now is to win the election and open up a door for a new direction in politics to emerge.

Past related articles:
> 4 opposition parties’ bill calls for participation of more women in politics [May 31, 2016]
> 4 opposition parties jointly submit bill to eliminate discrimination against LGBT [May 28, 2016]