Japan Press Weekly

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2019 October 16 - 21 [POLITICS]

Shii at progressive people's forum speaks on process toward opposition parties' coalition gov't

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo, at an annual event of the Forum for Peace, Democracy, and Progressive Unity (Kakushinkon) on October 19 in Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture, spoke about the process toward creating a coalition government consisting of opposition parties.

Shii started his remarks by saying, "Over the past four years, our party, together with you, has worked on the advance of cooperation between concerned citizens and opposition parties, and this helped to achieve favorable results in the past three national elections. Our cooperation is becoming a threat to Prime Minister Abe."

Shii reported on the JCP proposal made in August for holding talks among opposition party leaders with a view to change the present government. He said, "United efforts of opposition parties need to be stronger."

He pointed out, "In the last several national elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was able to win many Diet seats because voter turnout was very low. Many voters did not go to the polls although they do not support the Abe regime." "However," Shii continued, "if the voting rate goes up by just 10%, government policies will change. An increase in voter turnout by 20% will be enough to replace the government itself."

Shii said, "For this reason, our party called on anti-Abe opposition parties and political groups to start negotiations on electoral cooperation for the next general election with the creation of a new government in mind." He also said, "I already had a talk with 'Reiwashinsengumi' party head Yamamoto Taro in September and we reached an agreement to work together to create a coalition government of opposition parties. Just the other day, I met with Mataichi Seiji, chief of the Social Democratic Party, and we also agreed to cooperate to achieve change in government by bringing down the Abe government."

Shii added, "I anticipate having discussions with leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People as well." He then asked the audience to raise their voices throughout Japan to call for the creation of a coalition government.

Past related article:
> JCP agrees on cooperation with 'Reiwa' toward creation of coalition gov't of opposition parties [September 13, 2019]