Japan Press Weekly

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2017 October 4 - 10 [POLITICS]

DP leader labelled ‘betrayer’ by voters in his constituency in Kyoto

Democratic Party leader Maehara Seiji on October 4 delivered street speeches in his electoral district in Kyoto for the first time after he decided to disband the party to merge with the Hope Party. There were angry shouts from the audience, “Don’t breach the agreement between opposition parties and concerned citizens!”

With the general election approaching, Maehara last week announced DP’s merger with the Hope Party, a conservative party established by Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko who supports the war laws. This announcement sparked angry responses from the Japanese Communist Party and concerned citizens, who criticize Maehara for unilaterally abandoning DP’s past promise with other opposition parties to work to abolish the unconstitutional security legislation.

When Maehara appeared on a campaign van near Kyoto Station to deliver a speech, critics in the audience hissed him and shouted in chorus, “Go away”, while Maehara’s supporters shouted his name. This exchange of chants created tumult.

Maehara at a shopping street in Kyoto gave a speech in support of a Hope Party candidate who recently moved from the Democratic Party. When he was a DP member, he stated on his website that he is opposed to the war laws because they are inconsistent with constitutionalism.

Some of the audience cried, “Don’t betray!” and “The Hope Party is not an opposition party!” In response, Maehara asserted that the opposition parties-citizens collaboration includes the JCP. Referring to North Korea’s nuclear and missile crisis, he insisted that joining hands with the JCP will not contribute to defending Japan and protecting people’s lives. He justified his turnabout and the merger of the parties by unreasonably attacking the joint struggle.

Past related articles:
> DP will merge with new rightist party, betraying its promise to concerned citizens [September 29, 2017]
> Tokyo Governor’s new party is rightwing constitutional revisionist [September 26, 2017]