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On March 5, the DPJ held a “National Meeting for Secretaries General and Election Campaign Managers” (provisional translation) at party headquarters. The meeting was attended by members of the party executive and around one hundred secretaries general and election campaign managers from the various DPJ prefectural branches nationwide.
At the start of the meeting, DPJ President, Prime Minister Naoto Kan addressed the assembled party members. He commented, “It is important to firstly speak out with confidence about what we have already achieved. The budget passed the House of Representatives on March 1. Difficult budget deliberations have already started in the Committee on Budget in the House of Councillors, but it has already been determined that the budget itself will be enacted within this fiscal year. It is also necessary to enact the various budget-related bills, but many parts of the budget can be implemented from April 1. The enactment of the budget within this financial year is a concrete demonstration that we are running the administration in a responsible fashion. We must think about “Putting People’s Lives First”, and consider what the highest priorities for the Japanese people are. I would like the opposition parties to consider matters in the same way, and aim to achieve an agreement [with the opposition]. As we face a difficult situation, I would like to once more express my respect to all of you around the nation who have your feet on the ground engaging with the electorate, and I pledge to make every effort alongside you.”
Following this, Secretary General Katsuya Okada reported on: (1) Diet deliberations regarding the budget for fiscal 2012, (2) the DPJ’s intention to engage in frank discussions with the opposition parties regarding the child allowance legislation, (3) movement regarding the act on special provisions concerning issuance of government bonds, and (4) the task of reviewing the DPJ Manifesto.
Next, Diet Affairs Committee Chair Jun Azumi, Election Committee Chair Hajime Ishii and Public Relations Committee Chair Sumio Mabuchi each reported on the issues facing their respective departments, and a lively exchange of opinions took place between the local representatives and the members of the party executive.
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