| 25 September 2006 |
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Ichiro Ozawa
Member of the House of Representatives |
Today, thanks to the general consensus of my fellow Diet members, I have been appointed once more as President of the Democratic Party of Japan. I feel undeserving of such an honour, and at the same time I feel the weight of the mission and responsibility placed upon me.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our party members and supporters, who number more than 240, 000.
Furthermore, I would like to show my deep appreciation to Social Democratic Party President Fukushima, the People's New Party President Watanuki and New Party Nippon President Tanaka for their messages of cooperation as [representatives of ] our allied parties.
The DPJ's mission is to take power, break with the old-style ties of obligation and concessions and create a "new Japan". That in itself is true reform, and the needs of the times, which can only be met by the DPJ.
Our nation-building will take place based on the philosophy of "coexistence", and I would like us to aim to preserve Japan's virtues, while transforming Japan into a logical and "fair nation" both domestically and internationally. In order to achieve this, we will aim for each Japanese person to become self-reliant and moreover to become self-reliant as a nation.
Just recently, on announcing my attention to stand for party President, I announced my basic philosophy and basic policies to you all in order to realise these goals.
If I were to sum [this philosophy] up in a single phrase, it would be that "politics equals people's lives". Politics is intrinsically linked to people's everyday lives, and that is why it must always be specific. However many fine words [politicians] use, and even if these are put into practice, if the all-important people are leading unhappy lives then it cannot said to be proper politics.
That is why my basic policies place the utmost priority on improving the people's lives and I have not just strung together slogans and bold-sounding phrases, but explained things specifically in a way that anyone can understand. Furthermore, that is why we must not brandish radical arguments that are divorced from people's everyday lives, but should carry out ?痴ensible politics? that can reassure both the public and the international community.
Using this as a basis, we must draw up the DPJ's basic policies as soon as possible, and indicate these to the public in a clear and easily understandable way as the vision of a [future] DPJ administration. Through this process, Diet members, local assembly members, party members and supporters will be able to join together and clearly demonstrate a contrasting stance to that of the Liberal Democratic Party through a whole variety of activities. I would like the general public to realise that DPJ members are more accomplished by far, and that it is the DPJ that can achieve the reform of Japan.
At the same time, all of our Diet members and local assembly members must make their hearts as one, and fight together. Unfortunately, our party currently has only 194 members in total in both houses of the Diet and only 1,915 local assembly members. Therefore, all of our lawmakers, in their respective positions, must take responsibility and fulfill their respective roles.
If we can manage these two things, then I am convinced that the DPJ will definitely be able to win the election and to take power.
After winning victory in this October's by-elections, the various local elections scheduled to take place from this autumn and the unified national local elections to be held next spring, the opposition will triumph in the House of Councillors Election to be held next spring, which is our Battle of Sekigahara, and will cause the LDP government to collapse. Then, we must win the next House of Representatives Election, which seems to be not too far away, and the DPJ will be able to gain power fair and square.
I believe that we need to make just one final effort. We will definitely win. I think that you must all be starting to feel, when you carry out your daily activities, the sense that "This time, at last, we will be able to realise a change of government." Let's take that self-confidence and realisation and join together as a party to move with all our strength toward next year's House of Councillors Election.
The DPJ has only one goal: that is to win the next House of Councillors and House of Representatives Elections. We must concentrate all of our resources on this and create an organisation that is determined to win victory.
First, to that end, I would like to call upon Mr. Kan and Mr. Hatoyama to continue in their roles as Acting President and Secretary General. The remainder of the party executive will be selected after the end of this convention, and announced in the General Assembly of DPJ Diet members to take place tomorrow, September 26, but I would like to ask you to leave that decision up to me.
I will stake my entire political experience and my political career in my determination to stand at the forefront of this "decisive battle".
I would like to express my determination on being appointed president and to share with you all my conviction that "politics equals people's lives" and my indomitable resolution to take power. |
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