Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Yoshihiko NODA Is Elected as New Prime Minister

1. In the balloting to nominate prime minister in the plenary sessions of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors on August 30, Yoshihiko NODA, president of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), was elected as the 95th prime minister of Japan. Although our country faces many pressing issues at hand including reconstruction from the disaster caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the politics of Japan has been in a state of turmoil due to the political strife between ruling and opposition parties and the conflict within the DPJ, which has led people to fall into distrust of politics. Prime Minister NODA who came into being in the midst such situation made clear his determination to advance politics with a whole-party setup as well as with the cooperation between ruling and opposition parties. RENGO would like to appreciate such a stance and hope that the NODA government will realize the ideal of the DPJ by going back to the starting point in a whole-party stance. RENGO also hopes that the opposition cooperates in a responsible manner and joins together with the ruling parties in overcoming the national crisis and in advancing the steps forward for a revival of Japan in a body.
   
   
2. The problems that NODA government must tackle lie in a pile. The largest and the most urgent problems are the reconstruction of the disaster-zones which were stricken by the great earthquake and the ending of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, which do not allow us a moment’s delay. On the other hand, our economy that should be the driving force for the reconstruction cannot yet get out of the long stagnation, and the economic and employment situation is increasing its severity due to the influence of the disaster and, on top of that, due to the rapid appreciation of the yen. Furthermore, our country faces a mountain of problems such as en bloc reform of tax system and social security system, how the financial resources for the reconstruction should be secured, energy policy, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) issue, all of which have to do with the very basis of people’s lives, asking us the way things should be and each of which cannot afford to be put off. In solving these problems, not only the consultation between ruling and opposition parties but also the consensus formation through sufficient discussions at national level are needed. Prime Minister NODA is requested to display his leadership to that end.
   
   
3. Since the DPJ came to power in 2009, it has achieved a certain extent of results, but it has lost the support of people due to the delay of some main policies pledged in the election manifesto and due to the conflict within the party. It is definitely needed for the DPJ to reflect on the failures of both Hatoyama government and Kan government and to urgently establish a whole-party stance while sincerely listening to the voices of people. That is only one way to recover the moving spirit of the government so as to regain the support of people. That is also a short cut to realize policies with the cooperation of opposition parties. Moreover, looking from the rapid change of the situation, it is understandable to verify the election manifesto and to make a review of it while firmly maintaining its ideal. The DPJ must respond to the expectation that the people entrusted to the change of power, through securing full discussions within the party and through establishing a real politician-led politics.
   
   At the same time, the NODA government is expected to clearly show the figure of a society that Japan should aim at, and to manage the government on the basis of constructive and sincere discussions and consensus formation.
   
   
4. In the coming extraordinary session of the Diet to be convened very soon, discussions will be made on the 3rd supplementary budget (draft) and other important bills including a bill to revise the Workers Dispatch Law and bills related to the reform of public service system which RENGO is demanding to be passed. In order to achieve “a Secure Society Built around work as its Core Theme” RENGO will aim at realizing the policies which RENGO raises. For that, RENGO will strengthen the support for and cooperation with the DPJ government while making policy consultations with each of ruling and opposition parties.