August 27, 2004
1. The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee held its 2nd Plenum of the Central Committee (23rd Congress) from August 26-27 at the JCP head office.
2. Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo gave the Executive Committee report, focusing on a review of the House of Councilors election and the tasks to establish a new direction for people-oriented politics.
Analyzing the election results, the report pointed out that the biggest weakness of the JCP's policy debates was its inability to present to the public a clear JCP position at a time when the call for a "two-major-party system" apparently caught the attention of a wide range of voters. The report put forward six points to be made in order for the public to realize how important it is for the JCP to occupy its seats in the Diet in contrast with the "two major parties" argument. Secondly, the report pointed out lessons to be learned from the election campaign with regard to policy-making, activities to make JCP policies known to the public, and efforts to increase organizational activities and set forth their improvement. Thirdly, the report stated some lessons learned regarding the JCP's organizational strength.
Referring to the policy for struggle in the future, the report states that the forces trying to stop the further advances of the JCP will increase their operations as the crisis of LDP politics deepens. At the same time, the report stresses the need for the JCP to make it the centerpiece of its daily political activity to establish a new political direction in opposition to the moves toward a two-party system. On the basis of this framework, the report calls for various activities to meet the people's needs and reduce their hardships by opposing a consumption tax rate increase and attempts toward an adverse revision of the Constitution. The report puts forward specific goals to achieve advances in national elections and to develop a major drive to explain the JCP not in stereotyped terms but in down-to-earth expressions in order to build a strong JCP capable of taking the lead in changing the current situation.
3. In the two-day discussion, 36 members spoke.
4. CC Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo spoke in the afternoon of the second day. Reviewing the changing state of political parties since the 1960s, Fuwa made clear from various angles the significance of the policies proposed in the Executive Committee report.
5. On behalf of the Executive Committee, Shii gave the concluding remarks on the discussion. He said that the meeting endorsed the Executive Committee's proposals, and that the meeting achieved a positive outlook in the struggle against the "two-party" movement. Based on the discussions, he stressed the need for the JCP to carry out activities based on popular demands, and for JCP branches and JCP members to keep close ties with the people around them in their daily lives.
6. The Plenum unanimously adopted the Executive Committee Report and the Concluding Remarks. The Plenum also endorsed CC Chair Fuwa's recommendations. The three documents of the 23rd Congress on the Party Program and the 2nd CC Plenum decisions are designated as items that all party members should read and discuss. Party bodies must report to the party center on the progress of readings and discussions.
7. The Plenum closed after the CC members pledged to take the lead in putting the plenum decisions into practice.
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