ニュース 2010/07/27 DPJ, PNP sign policy decision-making agreement On July 27, a meeting of Secretaries General and Policy Research Committee Chairs for the DPJ and the People’s New Party was held inside the Diet. At the start of the meeting the Secretaries General of both parties signed an “Agreement Regarding the Policy Decision-making Process for the Coalition Government of the Democratic Party of Japan and the People’s New Party” (a full translation of the agreement is attached). DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano and Policy Research Committee Chair Koichiro Gemba participated in the meeting, with Deputy Secretary General Goshi Hosono and Deputy Policy Research Committee Chair Koriki Jojima attending as observers. Secretary General Mikio Shimoji and Policy Research Committee Chair Takashi Morita attended for the PNP. Following the meeting, Hosono told reporters that the meeting had focused on two points: 1) signing the policy decision-making process agreement, and 2) explaining the content of and obtaining understanding for the modification of budget requests for the fiscal 2011 budget. He also revealed that the PNP had called for attention to be paid to economic recovery measures, the defence budget, which has been reduced for the 8th year in succession, and the Cabinet Office’s Okinawa-related budget, which has been greatly reduced.