Elect the party capable of real political change -- Akahata editorial, October 29Japan's first general election campaign in the 21st century is under way.
A commercial newspaper poll just before the start of campaigning shows that 78.1 percent of those surveyed is either "highly discontented" or "rather discontented" with the present state of national politics (Yomiuri newspaper, Oct. 17). Asked by what criteria they will choose a political party to vote for in the proportional representation election, 37.0 said the party's willingness to change politics was important.
Isn't this a chance for us to make the general election an opportunity to realize the people's desire to change politics?
Scrutinize political map
In his first campaign speech, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo called for a fundamental change away from Liberal Democratic Party politics, in particular from politics in the interest of business circles to politics that will help improve people's living standards, and from subservience to the United States to a peaceful and independent Japan guided by its Constitution.
Major issues now facing the Japanese people concerning domestic and international affairs are rooted in politics subservient to business circles and to the United States. For example, pension and other social services are people's major concern which cannot be solved without budget cuts in public works projects that primarily benefit large corporations, as well as military expenditure.
Only the JCP calls for a real change in this key political framework to achieve actual change for the people's benefit. It is clear that the JCP can be the direct answer to their wish that policies, not merely faces, be changed.
Japanese politics today is marked by many parties speaking about a political change and a change of government without intending, except for the JCP, to change the political framework in the service of business circles and the United States.
This was clear from speeches by leaders of parties at the start of their campaigning.
Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro, speaking as the Liberal Democratic Party president, failed to give the call for a "change in the political framework" substance. Also, the president of the largest opposition Democratic Party, Kan Naoto, didn't call for a drastic change in the political framework which has been in the hands of Japan's business circles and the U.S. He only focused his appeal on ending "bureaucracy, centralism, and corruption." DPJ criticism that politics are run by bureaucrats is useless if such politics are disconnected from their cozy relations with business circles, which are the source of corruption.
Both the LDP and the DPJ have published in their election platforms calls for a consumption tax rate increase and adverse revision of the Constitution. This is a natural outcome of their maintaining their common thread of subservience to the United States and business circles. This is what their "showdown" is about. They are in a competition for shared goals.
The harder they compete with each other for political power, the worse such a political change will be. It will never help to clean up politics.
Vote for the JCP for real change
JCP Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo in his campaign speech in Tokyo stated that "the political map has been changed completely. Two major political parties have appeared before us, both of which are backed by business circles."
The business world has been longing for the birth of a "two-party system" in Japan, with the LDP and the DPJ in "competition" over similar platforms. In order to end adverse politics, voters must foil the business circles' attempt for a "two-party system" within the conservative camp.
Now that this new political map has become clear, the need now is for voters to find which party will really tackle the fundamental political framework. Vote for the JCP. There is no alternative. (end)