General election to change politics -- Akahata editorial, October 11The prime minister dissolved the House of Representatives On October 10. The general election will publicly be announced on October 28 and held on November 9.
Three years and a half have passed since the previous general election. Whether the first general election in the 21st century will mark a step toward political change or not has an important bearing on people's livelihoods as well as on Japan's future course.
People-first political reform
During the past three and a half years, government changed hands from Prime Minister Mori Yoshiro to Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro. The governing coalition has been made up of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and New Conservative (former Conservative) parties. Have Japan's politics and living conditions changed for the better?
The economic recession persists. The Koizumi Cabinet's "structural reform" policy in particular has made more small- and medium-sized businesses go bust and more people lose their jobs. It also forced people to pay more for medical services and pensions. In foreign relations and security policy, the Koizumi Cabinet continues to be subservient to the United States. In particular after 9/11, dangerous moves of war cooperation are increasing through supporting the U.S. Bush administration's policy of preemptive attacks.
In a recently published government opinion poll, 67 percent responded that they feel distressed or anxious about their daily lives. Anxiety about life in old age topped the list, followed by anxiety about health and income.
Witnessing the consequences of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, calls are increasing for an end to the government's submission to the United States. In most opinion surveys, opposition to sending the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq accounts for 60 to 70 percent.
People are earnestly calling for the present undemocratic politics to be changed drastically into one under which they can live safely, and for a peaceful Japan in the world.
In its general election policies, the Japanese Communist Party proposes a political change in the people's interests that would drastically shift away from LDP politics. It includes a change in economic policy from one of generously supporting large corporations into one of directly improving living conditions and a change in foreign policy by ending Japan's subservience to the United States and taking steps to build a truly independent, peaceful, and non-aligned Japan.
Prime Minister Koizumi only says, "Reforms are beginning to show results." He neither dares to pay attention to people's pain nor present an outlook for the future. In a one-on-one debate with JCP Chair Shii Kazuo one day before the Diet dissolution, Koizumi even stopped short of confirming whether the state share of the burden for the basic pension scheme will be raised next year as promised.
The government, the LDP, and business circles aim to increase the consumption tax rate and adversely revise the Constitution in the near future. While business circles demand that large corporations be given tax relief and that the consumption tax rate be increased, the LDP in its pledges says that a consumption tax rate increase is to be concluded after national discussions, and that the Constitution should be revised by the year 2005.
Even the opposition DPJ has begun to support a consumption tax rate increase on the grounds that it will help secure the funds for maintaining the pension system, and expresses hope to step into creating a constitution instead of just discussing it.
The JCP opposes higher consumption tax rates and calls for blocking the adverse revision of the Constitution. In the coming general election, voters' choice of political parties will affect the course of Japan in the 21st century.
Choose one out of three
The general election provides voters three choices: the Koizumi-led LDP and the Komei Party, the DPJ, or the JCP. Voters are asked to choose between a continuation of the LDP politics or a way out of it.
The JCP is the only political party that has concrete policies to change Japan's politics, refuses to accept even a penny from corporations and the business world as political donations, and opposes the Japan-U.S. military alliance.
We call on all voters to be aware that Japan's politics will certainly change only when the JCP makes progress. (end)