DPJ seeks cooperation with Your Party

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

DPJ seeks cooperation with Your Party

The Democratic Party of Japan is now exploring the possibility of collaboration with the Your Party to reform the government employee system. The reason for this move is because the DPJ intends to use this cooperation to enter into discussions regarding a consumption tax hike.

In the July House of Councilors election, the Your Party promised to reduce the number of government employees by 100,000 from the present 310,000. The party seeks to establish a "small government" which abandones government responsibilities for public services. This policy is the same as former Prime Minister Koizumi's "structural reform" policy which increased poverty and greatly widened social gaps.

The Your Party plans to submit to the Diet several bills, including a bill to allow the government discriminatory treatment of senior national public servants in promotions and a bill to grant more executive power and authority to the prime minister.

Minister in Charge of Reforming the Bureaucratic System Genba Koichiro at a news conference on July 13 said, "Regarding a reform of the government employee system, we have the same view as the Your Party. There is room for compromise."

Moreover, DPJ Acting Secretary General Hosono Goshi on a TV program aired on July 18 stated, "The issue of reforming the government employee system will open the door for a consumption tax raise."

Your Party Secretary General Eda Kenji said, "It is understandable that an increase in the consumption tax is necessary after cutting the wasteful use of tax money."

- Akahata, July 23, 2010