Ozawa strike out on his own

Today's article is a follow on to yesterday's regarding the fallout from the split in the Democratic Party of Japan over a vote on a tax hike. Today, Japanese politics could be that much more divisive!  See below.

小沢新党、11日発足 約50人が 「反増税」掲げ

民主党を除名された小沢一郎元代表らは11日 夕、都内の憲政記念館で新党の設立総会を開く。消費増税に反対し民主党を離れた衆参両院 の約50人が参加する見通し。代表には小沢元代 表が就き、選挙対策委員長を兼務する。反増税 と脱原発を掲げて野田政権を追及し、衆院解 散・総選挙に追い込みたい考えだ。

設立総会では新党の名称や綱領を発表し、小 沢元代表が基本政策について説明。終了後に小 沢元代表が記者会見する。党名には「国民の生 活が第一」などが挙がっている。

小沢元代表らが設立した衆院会派は37人、参 院会派は12人。新党を旗揚げした後、衆院では 小沢元代表と近い議員による新党きづな（９ 人）との統一会派を結成する。

新党は野田政権を「消費増税のみを先行して いる」と批判し、徹底的な行財政改革やデフ レ脱却のための施策を求める構え。原子力エネ ルギーへの依存度を減らす「脱原発」も訴える 見通しだ。

国会対策委員長に就く鈴木克昌氏は10日、新 党の国対役員会で「解散は先送りといわれてい るが、我々の行動いかんによっては直ちに解 散・総選挙に持ち込める」と強調。重要課題と して(1)衆院選挙制度改革(2)赤字国債発行法 案(3)内閣不信任決議案への対応――を挙げた。

小沢元代表ら37人は６月26日の消費増税関連 法案の衆院本会議採決で反対票を投じ、離党届 を執行部に出した。民主党は７月９日、37人の 除籍（除名）処分を正式に決定。参院議員12人 は離党届を提出し、承認された。

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFS10032_Q2A710C1MM8000/

Ozawa’s new party launched on the 11 th , 50 members offering up “Against taxes!”

Ichiro Ozawa, former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) representative and expelled party member, will open the inaugural general meeting of his new party at the Constitutional Government Memorial Hall in Tokyo on the 11 th . An estimated 50 members of the Diet attended, all former DPJ members who opposed the consumption tax increase. Ozawa will serve as party leader and also as election campaign policy chief. With a stance of opposition to taxes and nuclear power, the new party is criticizing the Noda administration, pressing for dissolution of the lower house of Parliament and calling a general election.

The new party’s name and platform will be announced at the opening meeting, with Ozawa explaining its governing principles. Afterward, Ozawa will hold a press conference. The appellation “The People’s Lifestyle is Number 1” is being touted as the party’s name.

The lower house members of Ozawa’s founding group number 37, with 12 in the upper house. After the new party launches, Ozawa’s group in the lower house will join with the Kizuna party (9 members) to form a unified parliamentary group.

The new party criticized the Noda administration for only focusing on the consumption tax increase, and is positioning itself as seeking policies designed to thoroughly reform government finances and avoid deflation. It also espouses itself as against nuclear energy, seeking to decrease the country’s reliance on it.

Katsuaki Suzuki, the new party’s policy chief, said on the 10 th at the party policy leadership meeting, “While it is said that dissolving parliament will be delayed, we will focus all our efforts on expediting dissolution and holding a general election.” He delineated three primary goals of the party: 1) Reform the lower house electoral system; 2) a deficit debt issuance bill; 3) a response to a no-confidence bill aimed at the current administration.

Ozawa’s group of 37 lower house members voted against the consolidated consumption tax increase bill in Lower House deliberations on 6/26 and submitted their resignation to party leadership. The DPJ formalized the expulsion of the 37 members on 7/8. The resignation of 12 Upper House parliamentarians was also submitted and accepted at the same time.