Japan Press Weekly

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2017 November 1 - 7 [POLITICS]

JCP resolves to block constitutional amendment at opening of Diet session

On November 1, the day when the special session of the Diet was convened, the Japanese Communist Party held an assembly of its Dietmembers’ group.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in his speech at the assembly called for Diet deliberations that will contribute to advancing joint struggles to defend the Constitution.

Shii said that although the ruling parties had intended to close the Diet session in only eight days after the opening, they had to agree to hold a 39-day session under pressure from the opposition parties and concerned citizens who demand that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo thoroughly explain before the Diet about his alleged involvement in scandals of the school corporations Moritomo and Kake.

Shii pointed out that PM Abe ordered Liberal Democratic Party officials to review a parliamentary custom so that opposition parties will have less interpellation time in Diet meetings and ruling parties will have more. The JCP chair stressed that this is a reckless move which will destroy parliamentary democracy and that Abe should retract the order.

Concerning the general election results, Shii said, “The JCP played a significant role in promoting joint struggles between opposition parties and concerned citizens in the election campaign. Having this fact in mind, we should work hard to further strengthen the collaboration.”

Shii noted that the party needs to exert all possible effort to explore a way to achieve advances in future elections while nurturing opposition parties/citizens cooperation. He called on JCP Dietmembers to tackle this task through their activities in the Diet.

Shii pointed out that the most important issue for the party is to fulfill an election pledge to oppose Abe’s move to amend Article 9 of the Constitution, the linchpin in policy agreements made among the JCP, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party, and the Civil Alliance. He expressed his determination to block the LDP-led forces from initiating a constitutional amendment. He said, “Based on this single issue, we need to do our best to rally support from a broad range of the general public to defend the Constitution.

At the same time, Shii said that JCP lawmakers in Diet sessions have a unique role in increasing public awareness of the fact that successive governments’ abnormal subservience to the U.S. and extraordinary pro-business attitude greatly distort Japan’s politics.