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On February 26, DPJ President Katsuya Okada met with Japan Innovation Party (JIP) President Yorihisa Matsuno inside the Diet. The two leaders confirmed and signed a document detailing the terms of an agreement leading to the merger of the two parties. Following this, the parties will establish a discussion council and proceed with the necessary inter-party administrative procedures.
Following the meeting, Okada expressed his strong resolution, saying, “I would like to make today a historic day that changes the political direction of Japan. Many people have doubts and dissatisfaction regarding the politics of the Abe administration. We have decided to form a new party based on our strong belief that it will be a vessel for achieving a politics which permits changes of government. I intend to make winning the House of Councillors election with this new party and taking on the challenge of achieving a change of government the culmination of my 25-year career in politics.”
Okada urged the electorate to accept the new party, stating, “I am truly grateful to those voters who have continued to support the DPJ under extremely difficult conditions. As a party our aim is for a politics that makes changes of government possible. It is for that reason that we have chosen to create a new party. I call for your understanding.”
Asked what the guiding principle of the new party would be, Okada replied, “It will encompass both the self-sacrificing [political] reforms proposed by the JIP, and our social vision of a society built on mutual co-existence that embraces diversity.”
Below is a provisional translation of the agreement concluded between the DPJ and the JIP.
Points of agreement confirmed between the DPJ and the JIP
Many Japanese long for the end of the out-of-control Abe administration and the creation of a politics in which changes of government are possible. The opposition has the task of responding to such expectations, and the opposition parties need to join together, provided that we share the same philosophy and policies. Under this shared perception, we have confirmed the following points.
1. The DPJ and the JIP will aim to form a new party by the middle of March at the latest.
2. We will establish a discussion council for the new party, comprised of the presidents and secretaries general of the DPJ and the JIP, in order to proceed with the necessary administrative preparations, such as drafting a party platform and party regulations. If necessary investigative teams will be established under the authority of the discussion council.
3. The actual procedures for establishing the new party will follow the same method as was used when the DPJ was established in 1998. The new party name will be finally be determined by means of an objective method.
4. Conclusions reached by the discussion council for the new party will be sequentially submitted to the decision-making bodies of each of the parties for approval.
5. We will speed up discussions between our parties regarding candidates for the House of Councillors and House of Representatives elections.
6. Having recruited party members, we will hold an election for party president as soon as possible following the House of Councillors election (scheduled for the early summer).
7. We will call on other parties and political groups to join together with us, provided that our philosophy and policies agree.
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