Both DPJ presidential candidates do not touch on people’s hardships

Japan Press Weekly

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

Both DPJ presidential candidates do not touch on people’s hardships

Prime Minister Kan Naoto and Ozawa Ichiro, ex-secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, announced their candidacy for the DPJ’s presidential election proclaimed on September 1.

On the same day, both published their political views and held a joint press conference.

Kan supported policies of increasing the consumption tax and cutting Diet seats (80 in Lower House, 40 in Upper House). As to the Futenma base issue, he insisted on the plan to build a new base at Henoko, off Okinawa’s Nago City, saying, “Adverse effects will arise domestically and internationally unless the starting point is the Japan-U.S. agreement which was made on May 28.”

Referring to the political money scandal hovering over him, Ozawa insisted that the fact that the prosecutors have not indicted him means that he did nothing wrong. Saying, “The Diet has no power to demand a compulsory investigation,” he rejected the idea of explaining the matter before the Diet.

Kokuta Keiji, Diet Policy Commission chair of the Japanese Communist Party, held a news conference on September 1. He said, “The policies of the two candidates are marked by their not referring to the hardships in people’s daily lives and how they may be lessened.”

Kokuta stressed that no major difference can be seen between the two candidates over issues concerning livelihoods, the Futenma base, and political money scandals.

The voting will take place on September 14.

-Akahata, September 2, 2010