No. 1349 Thirtieth Congress of New Socialist Party of Japan
The New Socialist Party (NSP) will hold its 30th national congress on April 13 and 14. The Kishida government does not work properly, but a supporting rate in favor of the opposition parties does not rise. Let’s consolidate a joint platform consisting of civic forces and opposition parties. Let’s make the congress successful so as to fight in cooperative actions with people for the coming general election and the 2025 Upper House election.
LET’S MAKE JOINT EFFORTS TO COPE WITH STATE’S LEVEL ELECTIONS!
Let’s prepare for general election
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) declares to change its rules on political funds to ‘punish lawmakers involved in the off-the-book money’. But it will not commit in the matter of ‘politics and money’, which is the core of the current scandal, in a radical manner. Today’s political scene coming from messes of the LDP presents us an opportunity to overthrow the coalition government of the LDP and the Komeito. The NSP must play the right role.
An urgent task is to reconstruct a joint platform of citizens and opposition political parties. If we take an unclear political direction proposed by the Constitutional Democratic Party, which, paying extraordinary attention to the Rengo, or the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, asserts ‘amending the Constitution, boosting military capabilities and reducing consumption tax rate’, we will miss a rare chance.
Let’s strengthen social movements to change the government; joining activities of civic groups and making utmost efforts to establish a basis of joint struggles.
Let’s prepare resolutely for Upper House election!
One more important point lies in these efforts. We have to prepare for the 2025 Upper House election through these hard works. The coming party congress will decide on Candidate Kai Masayasu as the NSP’s runner. Thus, we will provide people with a channel to ‘defend the Constitution, peace and democracy’.
Let’s have closer contacts with people working in the social activities together with the NSP’s members and supporters. Let’s join keenly activities on anti-war, peace and pro-Constitution as well as in labor unions and locally-organized trade unions.
Roles to play
Under the today’s circumstances media reports on wars in Ukraine and Palestine as well as an ‘emergency around Taiwan’ penetrate in the mind of people, and, to a certain extent, they share an idea that ‘it is necessary to enhance military capabilities to survive a national contingency’.
However, what the current wars tell us is that a war cannot be ended easily if it starts, deterrence means an infinite military expansion race and victims of war are always civilian populace.
The Peace Constitution was promulgated after the WWII: ‘military raison d’etre’ was maximumly prioritized in order to fulfill the war of aggression, taking advantage of the ‘integration of people’s consciousness with Emperor at the zenith’. Born from deep remorse over the war, the Constitution essentially does not tolerate such a way of integration of the state.
The NSP has a 28-year history from its foundation, achieving this credo. The supreme norm to ‘defend Constitution, Peace and Democracy’ is the very basis of the NSP’s foundation. Its mission has become the most intrinsic now in terms of the social role.
Let’s have solid linkage with people across the nation who condemn genocides in Gaza and oppose preparations for war. Let’s work together with them to win in the general election and in the Upper House election as the goals of unity with people.
新社会党は４月13～14日、第30回定期全国大会を開く。機能不全の岸田政権だが、野党の支持率は上がらない。市民と野党の共闘体制を確立し、一致して衆院選、25年参院選に向かう大会にしよう。
解散総選挙の構え
自民党は政治資金に関わる党則改正を行い、「裏金議員を処分」とするが、ことの本質である「政治とカネ」の抜本改革には踏み込まない。敵失とはいえ、自公政権打倒のチャンスが巡ってくる時に、新社会党もしっかり役割を果たしたい。
急務は、市民と野党共闘の再構築である。連合などに気を遣う立民の、改憲・軍備強化、消費税減税などのあいまいな方針では、「千載一遇のチャンス」すら逃す可能性がある。
市民連合などの動きに連動して、各地の共闘体制の構築に力を尽くし、政権交代へのうねりを高めよう。
参院選への地固め
もう一つ肝心なことは、この闘いを通じて25年参院選の準備を進めることである。今大会で甲斐正康さんを新社会党の次期参院選の候補者として決定することとしたい。そして、「憲法・平和・民主主義を守りたい」という人々に、そのための選択肢があることを示したい。
そのためには、党員・党支持者が関わる様々な社会活動に共に携わっている方々にアプローチしよう。反戦・平和・憲法擁護の諸活動、労組・地域ユニオンなどの活動において、常に意識して取り組もう。
果たすべき役割を
ウクライナやパレスチナでの戦争、「台湾有事」が語られる中、「有事に備えた軍備が必要」とする論が国民の中にも一定浸透している。
しかし、これらの現実が教えているのは、戦争は始めれば簡単には止められないということ、抑止力とは際限のない軍拡競争であること、戦争の犠牲になるのは常に市民であること、である。
先の大戦で、戦争遂行のため最大限に優先された「軍事的合理性」、そのための「天皇を頂点にした国民意識の統合」の反省から生まれた憲法は、そのような国家統合を許さない本質を持つ。
新社会党の２８年の歩みは、まさにそれを体現してきた。結党の最大の理由である「憲法と平和と民主主義を守る」ために新社会党が果たすべき社会的役割はかつてないほどに高まっている。
ガザのジェノサイドや戦争準備に反対する全国の人々としっかりと結びつく運動の到達点として、総選挙・参議院選挙の勝利を目指そう。
英訳版↓
No. 1349 Thirtieth Congress of New Socialist Party of Japan
The New Socialist Party (NSP) will hold its 30th national congress on April 13 and 14. The Kishida government does not work properly, but a supporting rate in favor of the opposition parties does not rise. Let’s consolidate a joint platform consisting of civic forces and opposition parties. Let’s make the congress successful so as to fight in cooperative actions with people for the coming general election and the 2025 Upper House election.
LET’S MAKE JOINT EFFORTS TO COPE WITH STATE’S LEVEL ELECTIONS!
Let’s prepare for general election
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) declares to change its rules on political funds to ‘punish lawmakers involved in the off-the-book money’. But it will not commit in the matter of ‘politics and money’, which is the core of the current scandal, in a radical manner. Today’s political scene coming from messes of the LDP presents us an opportunity to overthrow the coalition government of the LDP and the Komeito. The NSP must play the right role.
An urgent task is to reconstruct a joint platform of citizens and opposition political parties. If we take an unclear political direction proposed by the Constitutional Democratic Party, which, paying extraordinary attention to the Rengo, or the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, asserts ‘amending the Constitution, boosting military capabilities and reducing consumption tax rate’, we will miss a rare chance.
Let’s strengthen social movements to change the government; joining activities of civic groups and making utmost efforts to establish a basis of joint struggles.
Let’s prepare resolutely for Upper House election!
One more important point lies in these efforts. We have to prepare for the 2025 Upper House election through these hard works. The coming party congress will decide on Candidate Kai Masayasu as the NSP’s runner. Thus, we will provide people with a channel to ‘defend the Constitution, peace and democracy’.
Let’s have closer contacts with people working in the social activities together with the NSP’s members and supporters. Let’s join keenly activities on anti-war, peace and pro-Constitution as well as in labor unions and locally-organized trade unions.
Roles to play
Under the today’s circumstances media reports on wars in Ukraine and Palestine as well as an ‘emergency around Taiwan’ penetrate in the mind of people, and, to a certain extent, they share an idea that ‘it is necessary to enhance military capabilities to survive a national contingency’.
However, what the current wars tell us is that a war cannot be ended easily if it starts, deterrence means an infinite military expansion race and victims of war are always civilian populace.
The Peace Constitution was promulgated after the WWII: ‘military raison d’etre’ was maximumly prioritized in order to fulfill the war of aggression, taking advantage of the ‘integration of people’s consciousness with Emperor at the zenith’. Born from deep remorse over the war, the Constitution essentially does not tolerate such a way of integration of the state.
The NSP has a 28-year history from its foundation, achieving this credo. The supreme norm to ‘defend Constitution, Peace and Democracy’ is the very basis of the NSP’s foundation. Its mission has become the most intrinsic now in terms of the social role.
Let’s have solid linkage with people across the nation who condemn genocides in Gaza and oppose preparations for war. Let’s work together with them to win in the general election and in the Upper House election as the goals of unity with people.
April 3, 2024