Elections for the Upper House will soon begin. The Abe government hastens actions to destroy the constitutional system, saying that a strong state is indispensable to speed up economic growth. The coming election in July will decisively impact on a course of the country. Let's make utmost efforts to bring victories to as many candidates as possible who defend the Constitution.


NEW SOCIALIST PARTY STRUGGLES AGAINST CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT AND NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION


Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has allured people since his inauguration December last year with a myth of economic growth by using a newly branded terminology, Abenomics. He advocates a policy package of financial deregulation, which is odd to the current reality, mobilizing an enormous sum of money with an initiative of 'from a human being to a concrete object'. Thus, for a while, cheaper Yen appreciation and higher stock prices emerge in the market.


Money, however, does not circulate soundly; it does not flow into actual economic activities, but stays in stock transactions and speculative foreign currency exchanges. That will lead the economy to chaos. People are concerned about a sharp decline of the government bonds due to a surge of interest rate.


Protection of Big Business


The so-called growth strategy advocated by Premier Abe means to let global firms survive. After July the government will force the working population and ordinary people to suffer; an increased rate of the consumption tax, a budget cut in education and welfare, abolition of protective measures by the TPP program of domestic industries, including agriculture, and deregulation of labor laws, such as an introduction of a 'limited status employee' system.


The most evident example is decisions to resume operation at nuclear power plants and promote their export. Japanese firms have lost international competitiveness due to higher manufacturing costs resulted from the high electricity rate. The government implies that: to resume operation at nuclear power plants is obviously necessary so as to boost economy. Don't be defeated by China and South Korea. People should endure hardship and must not oppose the government.


Due to the nuclear accident in total 160 thousand residents of Fukushima have lost homes and been left without a plan to rebuild their lives. The refugees are almost deserted. The government warns about imminent big scale earthquakes to scare people, while it decides to re-operate nuclear plants. The government is ready to do everything for electric companies but, thereafter, it will not care much about what may happen.


The constitutional principles of people's sovereignty, pacifism and the basic human rights are obstacles to financial capitals and multi-national corporations. For this background reason Premier Abe is enthusiastic to amend the Constitution.


The world is shaken by conflicts to gain markets and resources. People stage struggles for peace, environment and the human rights behind the disputes. The Abe government, however, relies on military power. It emphasizes to amend the Self Defense Forces (SDF) Act so that the Japan's military might involve in operations to rescue Japanese citizens in the conflicts abroad and to exert the right of collective defense. The administration hurries up to formulate contingency readiness. In Okinawa the SDF capabilities are intensified in the integrated process with the US military.


More Stringent Control over People


The government consolidates a control and command system over people by introducing the residents' common code system. In the coming extraordinary session of the Diet it will submit a bill to protect secrets with a plan to form a nation where people should be silent. The coming election is decisive to block the dangerous policy of the Abe government.


As for the Ishin-no-kai (the Japan Restoration Party), which helps the Abe administration on the righter side, let it be retreated. Unfortunately, a trial to organize a joint body to defend the Constitution has ended in failure. But we cannot give up. Let's link various mass movements with initiatives to oppose nuclear power generation and consumption tax and to remove US bases from Okinawa.


Let's bring victory to as many candidates as possible who defend the Constitution. The New Socialist Party (NSP) decides to affirm or recommend candidates of the Social Democratic Party in the proportional representation districts and support Candidate Itokazu Keiko in the Okinawa district. The NSP will work in this direction. Efforts will help after the July election to be a basis for a bigger joint struggle against amendment of the Constitution and nuclear power. Article Nine must be defended. The proposed amendment of Article 96, which may lead to rewriting of the entire Constitution, must be blocked.


June 25, 2013