 A major struggle now begins to stop the tax increase and adverse revision of the Constitution Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo spoke at the JCP Diet members' general meeting on January 21 and stressed the importance of carrying out the JCP's parliamentary struggle by maintaining a broad perspective in the interests of the Japanese people and world peace. He particularly put forward four angles the JCP needs to have in its parliamentary struggle. (1) This Ordinary Session of the Diet will be an arena to expose and stop a major tax increase and the adverse revision of the Constitution, which are two major reactionary agenda items promoted by the "two major parties," the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party. The government is planning to submit bills, including one to revise the Self-Defense Forces Law to make overseas activities the SDF's main task, thus laying the groundwork for adversely changing the Constitution. (2) JCP Dietmembers must always keep in mind the need to make the JCP Program's valuable theses stand out through parliamentary debates on any policies or issues. We can work to defend working people's living standards against tax increases. This is because the JCP makes it clear in its Program that the political distortion in favor of large corporations must be corrected. (3) In dealing with any issues and questions in parliament, JCP Dietmembers must bear in mind the need to defend the Japanese people's interests and try to comprehend issues from an international perspective. For example, in the struggle against the adverse revision of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, we may be the minority in the Diet, but we must not forget the earnest call of many people for peace is overwhelming the pro-constitutional revision forces. In Asia and the rest of the world, calls for a world without war are forming a major current without parallel in history. (4) JCP members of parliament must always try to contribute to increasing the party's strength. We must bear in mind that the public will evaluate the party through the JCP's parliamentary activities and the quality of Akahata. (end) |