Japan Press Weekly

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2021 July 14 - 27 [POLITICS]

JCP protests against DPP leader’s remark describing JCP as totalitarian

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Tamura Tomoko on July 16 at a press conference in the Diet building said that Democratic Party for the People head Tamaki Yuichiro made a baseless accusation that the JCP is totalitarian.

DDP leader Tamaki’s remark was made at a press interview regarding the conclusion of a policy agreement with the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), Japan’s largest national center of trade unions. Asked by the press about a phrase used in the agreement that right-wing totalitarianism and left-wing totalitarianism should be eliminated, Tamaki reportedly said that to his understanding, totalitarianism refers to communism or the JCP.

Refuting Tamaki’s remark, JCP Tamura at the July 16 press conference said, “The JCP is a political party firmly working to achieve, protect, and develop freedom and democracy.”

Tamura stressed that in prewar and wartime Japan under the dictatorial rule of the absolute Tenno (Emperor) system, the JCP, soon after its foundation, began calling for the realization of universal suffrage for all people aged 18 and over and the establishment of party politics where different opinions are expressed and discussed.

The JCP policy commission chair noted that under the Abe government, in 2014, the constitutional interpretation was forcibly changed to allow Japan’s use of the right to collective self-defense and in 2015, the enactment of the national security legislation was bulldozed through in spite of strong opposition. She said, “In reaction to these moves which weakened Japan’s democracy, the JCP appealed to concerned citizens and opposition parties for the need to unite beyond differences in thoughts, beliefs, and political positions.”

Tamura said, “These facts clearly show the JCP to be a political party which not only has nothing to do with totalitarianism but is a party consistently works to protect freedom and democracy. Everyone who reads the JCP Program is aware of this.”

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Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on July 19 at a press conference in the Diet building said that DDP head Tamaki should retract his “JCP is totalitarian” remark.

Koike noted that Tamaki also made a remark hinting at a possibility that as an electoral tactic, the DDP will negotiate with the JCP regarding candidates for the coming general election, and said, “If he really intends to do this, he must revoke his controversial remark.”