Japan Press Weekly

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2011 June 29 - July 5 [JCP]

JCP in 3rd Plenum calls for nationwide movement to end nuclear energy

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo called for a nationwide movement to work for a swift withdrawal from nuclear power generation at the JCP Central Committee’s Third Plenum on July 3 at the party’s head office.

In the Executive Committee report, Shii stated that the natural disaster and the subsequent nuclear accident amount to the most pressing national issue that Japanese citizens must work together to address.

He said that the JCP has joined hands with other political forces to tackle urgent tasks, such as relieving victims and bringing the nuclear crisis to settlement, while making its own proposals regarding basic principles and providing funds for reconstruction efforts as well as on the issues of nuclear power generation and energy.

Shii stressed that the JCP has maintained two principles in regard to reconstruction-related proposals: Restoration of disaster victims’ livelihoods must be supported and bottom-up local people’s consensus, not the national government’s top-down decision, must be the basis for post-disaster reconstruction. He added that the ongoing nuclear crisis reflects the very nature of “capitalism without rules.”

Concerning the two major political forces consisting of the Democratic and Liberal Democratic parties, Shii criticized them for jointly promoting adverse policies while being obsessed with partisan interests in disregard of the urgent needs of disaster victims. He stated that at a time when the two largest parties are losing their capability to steer politics, many citizens are starting to ask questions and looking for a new direction in politics. This provides an opportunity for the JCP to reach out to a wide range of disaffected citizens and to gain their support for its proposal to create a new Japan with different values, he stressed.

Calling for nationwide solidarity and support for the post-reconstruction effort, Shii pointed out that the struggle will be a significant contribution to establishing an economy governed by rules.

The JCP chair also proposed launching a struggle to establish a nationwide consensus for a swift withdrawal from nuclear energy. He explained that in light of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the party has further developed its awareness and clarified its policy on nuclear energy based on its half-a-century activities regarding this issue.