We give you our word that under a DPJ administration, we will implement Prime Minister Naoto Kan's pledges, which he has made with utmost determination, and the "Policies of a Democratic Party Administration".
At the end of the first term of the DPJ administration, the extent to which these pledges have been fulfilled will be fully disclosed, so as to enable you, the people, to assess and evaluate the degree to which our public commitments have been fulfilled.
This manifesto sets out our minimum public commitment for the first four-year term of our administration, which will mark the initial breakthrough to a dynamic Japan and to economic revival. It includes items that cannot be determined by the ruling party alone. The DPJ administration intends to put forward responsible proposals and stimulate debate in the Diet, and reach agreement through vigorous debate between the ruling and opposition parties.
National policy is conducted on the basis of our Constitution. Based upon the three fundamental principles of the Constitution - the sovereignty of the people, respect for basic human rights, and pacifism - we will engage in active deliberation on the Constitution in tune with the demands of the times in which we live, in particular the increasing diversity of basic human rights and the necessity for international cooperation.
On such subjects as the restructuring of the relationship between the central government and local governments as a result of decentralization; the increasing diversity of basic human rights, such as environmental rights, the right to know, and the protection of privacy; the growing necessity of strengthening the prime minister's leadership and of international collaboration and cooperation; and national-security issues, during the period of our administration we will pursue the constructive development of policies based on constitutional debate and on the Constitution itself, in tune with the demands of the times.
The Constitution should not be seen as an immutable code of laws, and should not be reinterpreted conveniently to suit particular circumstances as they arise; the Constitution is the fundamental norm of the people and the state. Based firmly on that conviction we will initiate a national debate on the Constitution, obtaining a national consensus to move the focus from "Constitution-debating" to "Constitution-creating". Through the administration that the electors entrust our party to form, all DPJ members of the Diet will act with one accord to fulfil the party's pledges faithfully. |
