JCP will fight to foil adverse bills: Ichida

The Diet session ended on June 19 but was extended by the governing parties until July 31. In an interview with Akahata (July 1), Ichida Tadayoshi, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat head, expressed the JCP's resolve to do all it can to foil the contingency bills and the bill for the adverse revision of the medical insurance system. Ichida's remarks are as follows:

Q: The government and ruling parties are focusing their efforts on railroading through four adverse bills related to the wartime legislation, the medical insurance system, postal services, and personal information. What is the JCP position on these bills

All these bills undermine constitutional provisions of peace, democracy, and human rights. The JCP is resolved to fight to get them all withdrawn, without leaving any chance for them to be reintroduced in future Diet sessions.

Q: Mass media act as if the government has given up passing the contingency bills through the current Diet session.

Although parliamentary and extra-parliamentary grassroots struggles have driven the government into a corner, we must not forget that the government has not given up on their plans.

Through the current Diet session, JCP Dietmembers have contributed to exposing the real aims of the bills, while the government has lost consistency. Even those who supported the bills are saying, "We can no longer back them."

In addition, the ministers in charge of these bills, the chief cabinet secretary and the Defense Agency director general, were accused of being disqualified to promote them, for the former called for a "review" of the Three Non-nuclear Principles, and the latter was responsible for the making of a list of individuals who sought records from the Defense Agency.

Also, grassroots actions are increasing dramatically as seen in two large rallies held by 20 ground, marine, air, and port-related trade unions and people of religious faith.

Japan's major Buddhist and Christian sects called for the bills, to be withdrawn, and many local government heads expressed opposition to the bills, asking the Diet not to rush in passing them.

Let's fight till the final day of July, so that none of them will pass or be carried over to the next Diet session.

Q: On the medical insurance bill which passed through the Lower House, media irresponsibly claim that the bill will easily pass the Upper House.

In the past, it happened that some bills were rejected by the Upper House after they passed the Lower House, including the single-seat constituency system bill in January 1994.

The medical insurance bill has faced opposition as expressed by as many as 26 million signatures, and by 600 local assemblies' resolutions. Not only the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), but also the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) published their statements to this end.

Based on favorable conditions growing through parliamentary debates and grassroots struggles, let's fight to foil the bill in the upper house.

Q: What should be taken as immediate steps?

The case of lawyer Suzuki Muneo must be thoroughly investigated to cleanse LDP politics of corruption.

To break though the prolonged recession, the Diet and the budget committee must conduct intensive deliberations on how to improve people's living conditions. (end)