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The DPJ Economic, Fiscal and Social Research Committee (chaired by Yoshito Sengoku, Acting Chair of the Policy Research Committee) convened a meeting on September 5 for all Diet members, as a platform for launching discussions on the party manifesto for the next general election of the House of Representatives.
Policy Research Committee Chair Seiji Maehara gave an opening address to the gathered Diet members. He noted that the document that had been prepared by the Research Committee, “Declaration on Continuing Reforms: Continuing to aim for a ‘new society’ based on efforts and reflections to date,” presented a platform from which to initiate discussions on the manifesto for the next election. Pointing out that the document took into account the achievements of the three pillars of policy implemented at the time of the change in government in 2009, namely: (1) changing the way taxes are used; (2) decentralising government and granting greater sovereignty to the regions; and (3) promoting private sector leadership, moving away from a public sector-centric system, Maehara explained that the document examined the achievements of the past three years since the DPJ took power and clearly set out what still needs to be done in the course of on-going reforms toward discussion on the manifesto for the next House of Representatives general election. Maehara also remarked that since the previous manifesto the new and pressing issue had arisen of fundamentally revising the nation’s energy policy in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, noting that such revisions would be incorporated into national policy following discussions in the Energy and Environment Research Committee. Maehara said that while the “Declaration on Continuing Reforms” was still a “draft of a draft” version, following the DPJ presidential election on September 21, the policies and concepts of the new DPJ president would be incorporated into the process of considerations under the new party leadership.
Next, Secretary General of the Research Committee Kouhei Ohtsuka provided an overview of the Declaration. He pointed to statements made in the document preamble, such as “We are beginning to see new buds in many areas that have been stimulated by the change in government administration. We must now make the public more aware of this fact,” and “Efforts to improve the health and well-being of the nation have been progressing quietly since the change of government. We cannot stop now. We must continue to take on the challenge, based on further efforts and reflection.” He noted that the Declaration contains efforts to examine the manifesto (self-evaluation), the DPJ vision (to address what sort of society the party aims to create), and major policy structures for the DPJ administration in five priority areas. These five areas are: 1) A society that values people (support for child-raising, active role of lifelong learning, human resource-focused society); 2) Energy reform (green innovation=reducing dependence on nuclear power); 3) new growth (new economic growth and measures to move away from strong yen and deflation); 4) national structures (local sovereignty and reform of governing systems); and 5) an independent nation (promotion of foreign and defence policy in line with environmental changes). Following this explanation, meeting participants engaged in vigorous debate based on the Declaration.
Concluding, Chair of the Research Committee Yoshito Sengoku pointed out that “We must face the next election mindful of the changing times.” He went on to note that, “Ten years have now passed since we launched our slogan ‘From concrete to people’ and launched our campaign on the basis of an election manifesto. Given the changing times and the transformation of the domestic and international environment that has occurred in that time, it is now necessary for us to consider how we will present our politics and face the next election, including the words we use to explain ourselves to the people of Japan.”
After the meeting, Ohtsuka spoke to the press: “The opinions expressed today will all be duly noted and taken on board by the next party leadership. We will continue to gather opinions and distil these into a document that will provide explanations to the people of Japan as we head towards the next general election.”
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