This is the translated version of the Japanese edition (No.230 dated February 21st, 2015). It is published by Katsuyuki Naraof the New English Teachers Association (or Shin-Eiken, )and Stuart McLelland.The translationis on our own．
Uploaded on February 25th English version No. 164
5 opposition parties agree on uniting in Upper House election
Boost 20-miliion signature campaign
On February 19th five oppositionparties agreed on unitingin the July Upper house election: the Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Restoration Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Seikatsu-no-Party. The contents of their agreement are as follows:
- Our common goal is to repeal the security-related laws and to retract the Cabinet decision of allowing the government to exercise the right to collective self-defense
- To topple the Abe government
- To drive the ruling parties and their “complementary” forces into a minority in the election
- To cooperate in activities within the Diet and unite in national elections as much as possible
In the by-election to be held in April in the Hokkaido No.5 constituency of the Lower House, the “Hokkaido civic association free from war”has agreed to field Ms. Ikeda Maki as the unified candidate. The written agreement reached between the Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party says, “1. Aim at repealing the war-legislation, 2. Retrieve constitutionalism and democracy, 3. Maintain this position to the last.
The following aresome provincial activities of A9A groups around the country.
Representatives from opposition parties appeal together in street campaign.
Kawagoe group in Satiama
On February 14than association made up of the city’s five peace groups “Stop war-making country” staged a street public lecture in front of Kawagoe Station. Heads of five opposition parties eachspoke together for the first time. 13 representatives from five parties and peace groups appealed to passersby about repealing the war legislation.
Door-to-door signature campaign by distributing papers beforehand
Hiroshima group
They visited about 200 houses door to door asking families tosign the petition on February 14th. Before their visits, they had distributed petition papers to the mail boxes door to door. A pair of the group called on 30 families, and one mothersaid, “All three members of my familyhave signed since we are afraid of a constitutional amendment.”They are scheduled to do such a signature campaign again on February 28th.
Meeting of constitution forum sponsored by city’s 21 organizations
Aomori group
On February 13thcity’s 21 organizations including A9A groups of Aomori Prefecture, the SDP and the JCP held a meeting of the “Constitution Forum.”Lawyer Kanazawa Shigeru said, “Stop the rampant Abe Government! Force the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties into a minority in the July election!”
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