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2015/01/07
DPJ leadership election candidates hold joint press conference
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Katsuya Okada(left), Goshi Hosono(center) and Akira Nagatsuma.
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On January 7, the three candidates running in the election for the new President of the DPJ, Akira Nagatsuma, Goshi Hosono, and Katsuya Okada, held a joint party conference at party headquarters. (Candidates are listed in the order their candidacy was filed).
Nagatsuma first explained his reasons for standing in the election, stating, “The public is hoping for a strong opposition party, a large robust political party that is capable of taking the place of the LDP. The DPJ must respond to these expectations. This may be our last chance to do so.”
He also explained that if elected, he would “correct inequalities and create a society in which each individual would be able to exercise their abilities to the full, thereby greatly increasing the vitality of Japan as a whole, and ensuring that everyone receives their fair share of the pie. This is what it means to ‘invest in people’ and it is the goal of the DPJ.”
Lastly, Nagatsuma stated, “The true role of the opposition is to refine their policies, overthrow the government and then create their own government. The DPJ should first complete its own construction, and then members from the other opposition parties should join the DPJ. I would like to reconstruct and rejuvenate our party so it is one fully capable of undertaking such a role.
Hosono said that his reasons for deciding to stand in the election, were ‘[that following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident] “I wanted to engage in truly rebuilding this nation”, “I wanted to work for the disaster-affected regions” and “I felt the risks posed by Prime Minister Abe’s politics.”
He said “If we leave the government in the hands of the Abe administration democracy is truly at risk. I would like to protect Japanese democracy by enabling the DPJ to rejuvenate itself into a robust opposition party, and aim to take power again.” Hosono added that he would like to once more appeal to the Japanese people the DPJ goals of “a society built on mutual coexistence” and “diversity” and expressed his opinion about “the DPJ’s new start”, before stating, “I would like to show the public that ‘the DPJ has changed’ by travelling around the nation, beginning with the campaign for the nationwide local elections, fight for a DPJ victory, acting as a leader who will never retreat, and will stand at the front to lead the party to victory.”
Okada first stated his resolution saying, “Now, we have a situation where the DPJ has unfortunately lost the trust of the people. I believe that this leadership election is the last chance for the DPJ to rebuild itself. We will rebuild this party. In order to do so I will take the lead.” He added that when rebuilding the party, he “would like to strengthen the DPJ’s ‘return to its roots’. According to the party platform, the DPJ ‘is the party of citizens, taxpayers, consumers and workers’ and a future-orientated ‘party of reform’.” Okada stressed the need for rebuilding the party in accordance with this basic stance, and of emphasizing peace on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, and said that the DPJ’s mission was to create a “fair society”.
In closing, Okada said “I would like to do my utmost not simply for the DPJ, but for Japanese politics and for the people of Japan.”
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