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On the afternoon of November 1 in Tokyo, the DPJ held a national meeting of the representatives from the DPJ local policy research committee. Local representatives from the 47 prefectures had a lively discussion with Policy Research Committee Chair Goshi Hosono; Acting Policy Research Committee Chair for Fukushima Missions Teruhiko Mashiko; Deputy Policy Research Committee Chairs Sumio Mabuchi, Chiaki Takahashi and Kohei Otsuka; and Senior Vice Chair Issei Tajima.
At the start of the meeting, Mashiko stated that “We will create a Manifesto that makes the people appreciate the DPJ Government coming to power, by placing importance on local communities and listening to the opinions of the people.” He also expressed his gratefulness to the support from around the country as a Diet member from Fukushima Prefecture and also as the Acting Policy Research Committee Chair for Fukushima Missions. He concluded his speech by expressing his determination, stating “I would like to realize the words of Prime Minister Noda, ‘There can be no restoration of Japan without the restoration of Fukushima’.”
Deputy Chairs Sumio Mabuchi and Kohei Otsuka announced that the Committee would review and examine the 2009 Manifesto, and that the Committee would hold public meetings in order to report the progress and future tasks of each policy and to listen to the opinions of the people. The Deputy Chairs also indicated the importance of considering the basic philosophy of the DPJ and the party’s standpoint for creating a better society in preparation for developing a new Manifesto.
At the closing ceremony, Chair Hosono said that “The DPJ is in an extremely difficult situation. However, today I was able to listen to the views of my fellow party members who are working hard to maintain their positions in their respective communities.” He also indicated that “I would like to base the start of discussions for the new Manifesto on the opinions I received during this meeting.”
With regard to the DPJ’s vision for an ideal society, Hosono expressed the view that the DPJ is standing on the road of the democratic centre and cited three priorities: (1) a society of mutual-coexistence, (2) national security based on an exclusively defence-oriented policy, and (3) energy policies. He also indicated that he would clarify the standpoint of the DPJ and reintegrate the whole party through the development of both the Manifesto and the Mission Statement, stating that “We will resolve the conflicts or differences among party members through the process of developing the new Manifesto. We plan to tackle the challenge of the general election armed with the new Manifesto and Mission Statement, which will appeal to the hearts of the people.”
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