On March 27, a convention to launch the new Democratic Party was
held at a Tokyo venue.
At the
start of the convention a Declaration on the Founding of the
Democratic Party was read out, and the convention chairs declared
the convention open. Following this, former Japan Innovation
Party President, member of the House of Representatives Yorihisa
Matsuno, explained the background leading to the formation of the
new party, and proposals for the new party platform, party
regulations and appointment of a new party president were submitted
and approved unanimously.
Following this, former
Democratic Party of Japan President Katsuya Okada, who had been
appointed President of the new party, expressed his determination
regarding the founding of the party, stating: “Today is an historic
occasion. With the three concepts of ‘freedom’, ‘mutual
coexistence’ and ‘responsibility for the future’ as our founding
principles, we are resolved to get the Democratic Party off to a
good start.”
Okada
went on to comment on the current political situation, stressing
the importance of stopping the out-of-control behavior of the Abe
administration. He stated: “Under the Abe administration,
basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution, such as freedom
of speech and the right to know, have been threatened, and
pacifism, one of the fundamental principles of the Constitution, is
being ignored. We have reached a situation in which
inequalities have widened, and the Japanese people, in particular
our children and our young people, have lost their hope for the
future.”
Okada
continued by expressing regret for the missed opportunities during
the DPJ’s time as the party of government. He finished his
speech by emphasizing that in order to realize a Japanese politics
where changes of government are possible, the Democratic Party must
recognize that this is their last chance, unite as a party, win the
forthcoming national elections and work together with the people to
create a magnificent Japan.
In his
post-convention press conference Okada expressed his resolution
upon founding the new party, stating, “My political motivation is
to create a party that is capable of acting as a viable alternative
to the LDP as a party of government. In order to move towards
this big purpose, I have decided that we need to sink our
differences for the sake of a common goal.”
Asked
what the Democratic Party would aim to achieve if they became the
party of government, Okada said “We will draft our policies based
on the three concepts of ‘freedom’, ‘mutual coexistence’ and
‘responsibility for the future’ clearly set forth in both the
Declaration and the Party Platform. We will thoroughly
support the pacifism of the Constitution, which is currently under
threat. Economic growth is important, but deciding how to
distribute the fruits of such growth is even more important.
We will expand the middle class, some of whose members have
fallen into poverty, and raise the living standards of those
suffering in poverty. We will emphasize the correction of
inequalities and the redistribution of wealth. We believe
that it is only once redistribution has been carried out that we
can realize sustainable economic growth.