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2009/12/20
Ozawa states determination to focus on achieving Upper House majority
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On December 20, DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa held a press conference in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, and expressed his determination to focus all his efforts on obtaining a majority of 61 seats in the House of Councillors election to be held next summer.
At the start of the press conference, Ozawa was asked how the DPJ intended to fight the forthcoming House of Councillors election. He responded, “We already enjoy strong and wide-ranging support within Iwate Prefecture, so I am hoping that we will be able to obtain overwhelming support and encouragement next summer as well. At the national level, I would like to make every effort to aim for the election of a majority of candidates: that is 61 seats.”
Following this, Ozawa was asked for his opinion regarding the decision by DPJ Iwate to ban balanced tickets, or endorsement of opposition candidates, within the prefecture, and regarding the possibility of extending this stance nationwide. He answered, “Under normal circumstances, a parliamentary democracy should equal party politics, and in developed Western democracies it is natural for candidates to wear their party colours at various classes of election.” He added that he believed this way of thinking would take root amongst the Japanese people in future, and as a result of this balanced tickets would come to be prohibited.
Ozawa went on to say, “At the present time such a shift in perception has not yet occurred, and so I would like party members and the electorate to come to understand the basics of parliamentary democracy and party politics by having large administrative bodies such as prefectures and designated cities thoroughly implement [prohibition of balanced tickets]. Furthermore, I believe that such elections will lead to an expansion of DPJ forces and strengthening of the party base, and so I am of the opinion that it is advantageous at the present time if as many candidates as possible who share our goals are elected to local administrations. ”
Finally, Ozawa responded to a reporter’s question asking for his response to the many voices in Iwate post-election calling for him to play a more active role in policy-making as well, rather than confining his role purely to management of the party. He said that he had received a proposal from Prime Minister Hatoyama when the new DPJ administration was launched, to divide administration of the government from that of the party, and that under this system he was dedicating himself to Diet affairs and elections, in particular the forthcoming House of Councillors election. He said that if the Prime Minister asked for his opinion he would be happy to give it, but repeated that “For the time being I would like to focus on party affairs with the objective of first gaining a majority and then enabling the implementation of more radical policy implementation through achieving a stable majority in both Houses of the Diet.”
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