Party capable of representing public interests: JCP publishes election platform

The Japanese Communist Party on June 18 published its platform for the upcoming House of Councilors election calling for the political subservience to the U.S. and Japanese business circles to be ended and for citizens to be the key players.

The following are the three main pillars of the JCP's election platform: change policies that support major corporations to ones supporting the people in order to overcome the crises of deteriorating living conditions and the economic recession, stop being under the thumb of the U.S. government and represent Japanese public demand in the U.S. Futenma base issue; firmly oppose any reduction in the number of proportional representation seats in the Diet and create a more democratic election system that reflects public opinion.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo, at a press conference in the party's head office, expressed that it is his party's job to put the brakes on the "competition started between the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party to promote an increase in the consumption tax rate."

Pointing out that their call for the consumption tax hike is packaged with the reduction in corporate taxes, Shii criticized the proposal for forcing the general public to cover the loss in the tax revenues that will be caused by corporate tax cuts.

The other focal issue in the election, according to Shii, is the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa. He stressed that the only solution to this issue is rescinding the recent Japan-U.S. agreement concluded by the DPJ-led government and the unconditional return of the Futenma base.

"A coalition between the DPJ and the LDP is being formed in regard to the consumption tax hike and U.S. base burdens, and only the JCP is capable of standing up to their attempt to impose further burdens on the public. This is the framework in which the battle lines are being drawn in this election," said Shii, expressing that throughout the election campaign the JCP will remind voters that only the JCP can represent their interests in opposition to the U.S. and business circles.

- Akahata, June 19, 2010