ニュース 2010/07/30 Gemba explains functions and organization of Policy Research Committee On July 30, a meeting open to all DPJ Diet members was held inside the Diet to explain the functions and organization of the Policy Research Committee. At the start of the meeting Policy Research Committee Chair Koichiro Gemba addressed the gathering, saying “In last year’s general election we pledged to unify policy-making decisions under the authority of the government. Although we now have a Policy Research Committee I would like to uphold this principle of unification.” He went on to explain that at the same time, “We would like to engage simultaneously in the unification of the policy decision-making process under the government, and in enabling individual Diet members to engage freely in policy-related activities, to have a forum for vigorous debate, and to build up knowledge on mid to long-term themes.” With regard to the party proposal for budget request guidelines, Gemba explained, “We had wanted all Diet members to discuss this, but a General Meeting of DPJ Diet members had not yet been convened, and so an enlarged meeting of the Policy Research Committee executive, including subcommittee chairs, carried out a review of the election from a policy perspective, and put together a proposal and this was submitted as the party’s proposal.” He reported to the assembled members: “Ultimately, more than 90%, the majority of the [Policy Research Committee] proposal, was reflected [in the budget request guidelines]” and said that meetings of the Policy Research Committee in which all Diet members could participate would get underway in earnest from the following week.