Opposition parties agree to work together to block government bill to revise Fundamental Law of Education

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

Opposition parties agree to work together to block government bill to revise Fundamental Law of Education

Diet policy commission chairs of four opposition parties (the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, and People's New parties) agreed at a meeting in the Diet building on September 21 that their parties will work together to block adverse bills including the government bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education in their struggle against the Abe Shinzo cabinet that will be formed in the next extraordinary Diet session to be convened on September 26.

Stressing the need to firmly confront the new cabinet, JCP Kokuta Keiji expressed his willingness to cooperate with other opposition parties based on agreed points in order to meet the demands of the public, including scrapping the education bill. At the same time, he pointed out that each opposition party has differences concerning basic national policy issues, and stated that the JCP will take part in democratic discussions,

Kokuta also asked other parties' cooperation in guaranteeing small parties' right to speak during the question time in the Diet and interpellations in the House of Councilors plenary sessions.
- Akahata, September 22, 2006