Japan Press Weekly

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2012 September 19 - 25 [POLITICS]

Noda reelected as DPJ leader

At an extraordinary convention of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan on September 21 at a Tokyo hotel, Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko was reelected as the party’s president by a large margin over his three rivals.

Just before the vote, four candidates delivered their speeches. Regarding the forcible passage of the consumption tax hike bill based on a three-party agreement with the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties, Noda in his speech said, “I’m confident that this political decision is right.”

In his speech after the reelection and at a press conference after the DPJ convention, Noda indicated the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle.

Asked for a comment on the DPJ’s presidential election result, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said, “Noda won the DPJ’s presidential post, but he has already lost the public trust. He should dissolve the House of Representatives and allow a general election without delay.”

“The Noda government in defiance of public opposition intended to steamroll through adverse policies, including the consumption tax hike, reactivation of offline nuclear reactors, promotion of Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade pact, and the Osprey deployment. The DPJ reelected as its president a person who doesn’t care about public opinion. This proves that the DPJ takes a position far distanced from public expectations,” Shii stressed.