Over two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives are occupied after the general elections by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Ishin-no-kai. They had pledged to revise the Constitution before the campaign. The year 2013 has begun and we face a serious situation in which the Lower House could overturn radically the constitutional system built up since the end of WWII. The Upper House must not be of a similar composition. Broad unity is indispensable to defend the Constitution as well as the rights to live.


LET'S PREPARE FOR UPPER HOUSE ELECTION!


Finally one-party dictatorship scheme has been formulated in the Lower House composition. This is a result of the small constituency election system and it represents an overall attack of the neo-liberal structural reform on people.


In the year 2009 voters rejected globalism which had put priority on business profits to people's life and livelihood. Thus the LDP-led coalition government was replaced with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), but the new administration has transformed itself, betraying expectations of voters. Does the fact make the electorate give up politics and feel senselessness?


One of the factors which produced the worst outcome in the general elections comes from the single-seat system. In the December's election the LDP obtained 43% of the total turnout, occupying 79% of the seats, which counts 237 in the Lower House.


Another factor lies in the political parties; their weakness and splits. We, the New Socialist Party (NSP), concluded an agreement of election policy with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to broaden a scope of support as we had foreseen today's situation. But the objective has failed, remaining unfulfilled on the way.


On the other hand, however, New Komeito won all candidates fielded in the nine small constituencies. The party won victory because LDP and Ishin-no-kai did not run own candidates in the overlapped districts.


People's Decision - Not Reflected


The LDP won an overwhelming victory to be government again. But their support rate is 25% of the total votes in the constituencies and only 16% in terms of the proportional representation count.


Struggles to oppose reoperation of nuclear power plants continue and will continue. Opposition to a hike of the consumption tax rate is tenacious and will be so.


During the election campaign the Ishin-no-kai was criticized for its comment that employment would increase if the minimum wage system is abandoned. The LDP, in a similar way, had unleashed a labor practice in which workers are freely mobilized from a company to another, a worker dispatch system. That, consequently, has been led to the today's plight of workers who cannot earn good wages for survival.


Gaps between the rich and the poor grow. Taxation is unfair. Poverty prevails. The whole social security system is in jeopardy. People in Okinawa suffer from presence of foreign military bases even after 68 years of the end of WWII.


The new LDP government is to destroy Article Nine, agitating 'the territorial issue' and cautiously watching for a chance. This policy means that Japan will be mobilized by the US in both nominal and real terms to join their wars. It is an absurd path for Japan as the nation may be kicked out by the neighboring Asian nations in diplomacy and economic development.


July Election is Critical


It is over ten years since the 21st century began. People, who have the sovereign right, have undergone many twists and turns for these years, contemplating politics, economy and their livelihood, making trials and errors. In Japan where no such desperate resistance movements were waged as seen in Europe, where peoples fought against fascism, people here need some time to have experiences.


The same is probably true to labor movement. Today workers' movements do not impact on the society, which was contrary some decades ago.


It is organized forces, however, that drive the society. Today numerous kinds of creative civic movements develop. It is imperative for labor movements to get united with civic movements so as to change the society.


The July election is approaching near. Let's broaden further the forces we have united during the Tokyo governorship elections to support Candidate Utsunomiya. Let's train ourselves more powerful to build a fortress so that political forces who want to amend the Constitution should not occupy the Upper House.


Let's make the year 2013 a happy one with no regret.


January 1, 2013