Japan Press Weekly

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2016 October 5 - 11 [POLITICS]

Number of signatures for repealing war legislation reaches 15.8 million

The representatives of 29 civic groups opposing the unconstitutional national security legislation held a rally on October 5 in the Lower House members’ office building and announced that the total number of signatures recorded seeking the repeal of the war legislation has reached 15.8 million.

Since the war laws were forcibly enacted in September last year, these groups have campaigned with the goal of collecting 20 million signatures. On that day, they handed opposition lawmakers nearly 2.3 million signatures they have gathered since this June.

At the rally, All-Out Action Committee co-representative Odagawa Yoshikazu who is also the president of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) delivered a speech on behalf of all the campaign groups. He said, “I hope the opposition parties will seriously work together in response to people’s voices conveyed in these signatures.” Odagawa also called on the participants to step up campaigns to restore constitutionalism and overthrow the Abe government in the run-up to the next general election.

The rally was joined by parliamentarians from the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s Life parties as well as an opposition group called “Okinawa Whirlwind”. They all gave speeches in solidarity.

JCP member of the House of Representatives Kokuta Keiji referred to the fact that joint opposition candidates defeated their rivals backed by the ruling parties in 11 out of the 32 single-seat constituencies in the July Upper House election. “Aiming to bring down the Abe government, we will work hard to further develop the opposition alliance,” he stressed.

Past related article:
> JCP is supported by funding from individual donors [November 29, 2016]