ニュース 2010/05/21 Manifesto Planning Committee discussions almost complete On May 21, the 15th meeting of the Manifesto Planning Committee (Chairs: Minister of State for National Policy Yoshito Sengoku and DPJ Senior Vice Secretary General Yoshimitsu Takashima) was held at party headquarters. During the meeting, the Planning Committee completed the vast majority of its deliberations, and it was determined that a final written proposal would be completed by the following week and submitted to the Platform for Government Committee (Chair: DPJ President, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama). This was announced by Committee Chief Coordinator, Vice Secretary General Goshi Hosono, following the meeting. Hosono said, “The Planning Committee has reached a consensus”. He announced it had been decided that the final draft for security and foreign policy matters should be determined by the Committee Chairs and the Chief Coordinator, and that the majority of the proposal for the five policy pillars of the House of Representatives Manifesto (ending wasteful spending, childrearing and education, pensions and medical care, regional sovereignty, employment and the economy) had been determined. With regard to policies for restoring public finances to health, Hosono said that these would be included in the party’s mid to long term vision, and that this mid to long term vision would also include President Hatoyama’s thoughts, as well as the concept of building an East Asian Community. Hosono also revealed that the party intended to include a review of its achievements since taking office in the manifesto. He went on to express his impressions of the draft proposal as a whole, saying, “It is shaping up to be a Manifesto that is able to give dreams to the Japanese people as well as being realistic.”