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2014/05/07
Kaieda comments on strategy for closing part of Diet session
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On May 7, DPJ President Banri Kaieda held his regular press conference at party headquarters. He discussed the DPJ’s strategy for the closing part of the Diet session, saying that the party would urge for information regarding the following to be disclosed to the Diet and thorough debate undertaken: (1) the complete about-face made by the government by proposing to change the interpretation of the Constitution with regard to the exercise of the right to collective self-defence, (2) what discussions were held regarding the TPP in the recent leadership summit between Japan and the United States, and what was decided and what not, (3) how the Diet should be involved with the Special Secrets Protection Law, and (4) how the government would address the issue of proposed changes that would weaken employment legislation. Kaieda emphasized that the DPJ would urge that intensive deliberations in the Committee on Budget and Prime Minister’s Question Time should take place as soon as possible.
With regard to cooperation between the opposition parties, Kaieda announced it had been confirmed that periodic meetings would be held between the secretaries general and Diet affairs chiefs of the four parties, the DPJ, the Japan Restoration Party, Yui no To and the People’s Life Party, who had cooperated in the recent Kagoshima by-election.
Kaieda also announced that in a meeting of the party executive held the same day, a proposal had been submitted suggesting that as the party starts on the road towards the nationwide local elections next year, the second round of discussions in the DPJ Revitalization Headquarters should take place not just between Diet members, but should also include local assembly members and party members. He said that the selection of participants and the decision regarding what should be discussed at the meeting would be made under the authority of Secretary General Akihiro Ohata and expressed the willingness to start the discussions at an early date.
Kaieda was asked for his opinion on an issue relating to the current debate over the right to collective self-defence, that is the fact that a variety of opinions were being heard from the administration and the ruling parties regarding possible dates for obtaining Cabinet approval and submitting a proposal to revise the SDF law to the Diet. He responded, “Prime Minister Abe did the same regarding Article 96 [of the Constitution]. He took the approach of first of all talking in a grand way about what he was going to do, launching a huge advertising balloon as it were, and then gradually reducing the scale of what he planned to do. I think that he intends to do the same thing this time round. In any case, debate must take place in the Diet. We are saying that a Special Committee should be established to discuss the exercise of the right to collective self-defence.”
Asked for his thoughts on the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Europe, Kaieda said, “I think that it was biased toward security and defence issues. I believe it would have productive for him to hold deeper discussions on strengthening cooperation over economic issues and on the situation of the Japanese economy.” He expressed his intention of addressing “Prime Minister Abe’s excessive bias toward security issues, in particular defence issues” and urging him to address “enriching the daily lives of the Japanese people”, in the next Prime Minister’s Question Time.
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