Okada states, “The LDP should acknowledge honestly that ‘Abenomics has failed and so fiscal stimulus is needed’”

On May 28, DP President Katsuya Okada responded to reporters’ questions at the end of his scheduled visit to Ishikawa Prefecture. 

In Ishikawa Prefecture, four opposition parties, the DP, the Communist Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party and the People’s Life Party, have agreed to work together to back a joint candidate.  Asked how this would work in practice, Okada responded, “Ishikawa has created a framework where the four opposition parties cooperate fully to support candidate Miki Shibata, and so I would like us to pool our strength and work hard to ensure that she is elected.”  He also commented on the way opposition cooperation might play out in the event of simultaneous elections for both Houses of the Diet, suggesting he would be willing to engage in discussions to coordiante opposition candidates by stating, “We need to ensure that there is no doubling up in electoral districts where there are competing opposition candidates.”

Asked whether he intended to ask Prime Minister Abe to explain to the Diet the views he had expressed regarding the world economy at the recent G7 summit in Mie Prefecture, Okada prefaced his reply by commenting, “We are calling for the Committee on Budget to be convened.”  He added, “[The Prime Minister’s remarks] clearly differed from the stated views of the Japanese government regarding the world economy.  They also differ from forecasts for the world economy given by many international scholars and institutions, including the conclusion reached by the summit meeting.  I haven’t heard anyone saying that conditions ‘resemble those prior to the Lehman Shock’.  We have a peculiar situation where only Prime Minister Abe is saying such things.” 

In connection with this, Okada was asked for his perception of remarks made by LDP Election Strategy Committee Chair Toshimitsu Motegi to the effect that “Following the conclusions reached by the G7 summit, we would like to consider enacting a 2^nd supplementary budget after the House of Councillors election.”  Okada dismissed these comments, saying, “The LDP should acknowledge honestly that ‘Abenomics has failed and so fiscal stimulus is needed.’  [The method proposed by Motegi] is just a return to old-style LDP methods.”

Asked about the likely timing for submission of a motion of no-confidence in the Cabinet, Okada prefaced his reply with the comment that “the four opposition parties would hold talks” and stated, “In my opinion, we have a situation wherein we cannot trust the Cabinet in the slightest.”  Questioned whether the SDP were not in fact opposed to submitting a no-confidence motion, Okada commented, “I am not aware of whether the SDP is opposed or not.  There may be a variety of opinions within each party, but I believe that it is quite possible for all four parties to reach an agreement.  I intend to properly convey the DP’s opinion and resolve at a meeting of the four party leaders.”

Okada went on to comment on U.S. President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima, saying, “When I watched President Obama’s speech on TV yesterday, I had the impression that ‘It was a bit difficult’ but when I read through it again, I felt that his words were extremely insightful.  His comments look set to go down in history…I found the scenes where the President spoke with hibakusha, including [the co-leader of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers] Sunao Tsuboi, and embraced them impressive.  I believe the President’s speech, his words and actions in Hiroshima will be a start, giving a renewed momentum to the movement towards a world free from nuclear weapons…The President has sent a powerful message to the world.”