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Democracy in Japan
is now about to be crushed by the oppressive numbers of huge
coalition ruling parties.
On the evening of November 26, the three ruling parties; the
Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the New Komeito
Party, forcibly created the Health and Welfare Committee of the
House of Representatives. They did so to force passage of the
Pension System Reform Bill Package against the opposition of
the parties out of power, including the Democratic Party, the
Social Democratic Party and others. This conduct is truly outrageous,
this majority denies parliamentary democracy and mocks the nation.
The ruling parties wound up deliberations on the Pension System
Bill which greatly influences the living standard of the nation,
in the short space of several hours, in substance; about 2 days.
Moreover, they held a central hearing meeting on the condition
of voting on bills. This strips Diet deliberations of all its
contents entirely. RENGO can never accept those coalition parties'
Diet steering. We are protesting with all our anger today's forced
passage of the Pension System Bill Package, following the arrogant
decision on the hearing schedule the other day.
The Pension System is the foundation that sustains our national
standard of living and the Medical Care System, nursing care
and welfare for our aging society and increasingly low birth
rate in the coming century. It is fundamental to conduct a reform
while displaying a total vision of social security. RENGO has
advocated this repeatedly in consultations with the New Komeito
Party and the Liberal Party. However, this package postpones
radical reform of the Basic Pension System, which on the one
hand is now losing substance. The package increases the burden
on the others, decreases pension provision levels by 10%, and
raises the eligibility age to 65. Moreover, the package contains
unclear, irresponsible methods for dealing with deficits in pension
reserve management. These bills are simply retrogressive. The
three ruling parties who forced passage of those deteriorating
bills bear extremely big responsibility.
Indisputably, the
social security system in Japan is now about to be twisted through
forced Pension System retrogression, nursing care insurance revision,
and so forth thanks to the ruling coalition's "party interest"
that are aimed at maintaining power. The Pension System Bill
this time include measures which will have grave consequences
for a 21st century with a rapidly aging society and low birth
rate, as well as for the life of the nation. It is these problems,
not the ruling coalition's closed-door discussions or forced
passage, which are truly matters for the nation's judgement.
At the same time, the nation is now questioning the very existence
of these huge ruling coalition parties that occupy 70% of the
seats in the House of Representatives.
Backed by substantial public support, which does not condone
the arrogance of the ruling coalition, RENGO will work in closer
cooperation with each of the parties out of power such as the
Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party. RENGO will
work to support the all-out struggle to stop passage of retrogressive
measures and realize radical reform of the Pension System Bill. |
