V

Stepping up Party Building and Party Activity to a New Level of Development

Next, I will report on party building and party activity tasks.

The Point the Party Has Reached on Increasing Party Membership and Akahata Subscribers

As regards developments in the party's strength in the past three years, we have won many new members, and the party's membership now is over 11,000 more than at the time of the last Congress.

We now have 370,000 party members. Although this is still at a rudimentary stage, we can certainly feel an upsurge of new waves.

In this period 42% of all party branches have won new party members. This is evidence that the work to win new party members is literally becoming the practice in the whole party.

We have set the goal of winning 10% of the JCP voters as party members and doubling the current party membership by the year 2000. There are 147 party branches throughout the country which actually doubled their membership in the last three years. What these branches have done shows that it is really possible to double party membership.

Moreover, 193 new party branches have been established in communities, workplaces and schools where none previously existed.

Convinced about the upsurge of new waves, we must do our utmost to further extend this and build a stronger party. A sign which is especially promising for the party's future and our work is the increasing number of new members who are young.

As regards Akahata subscribers, we have continued to achieve an increase in subscribers almost every month in the past six months. As of September 1, there are over 2.3 million Akahata subscribers. The whole party is now making more effort to increase the number of subscribers, but we have not yet recovered the level we had at the time of the last Party Congress. But before this Congress, seven prefectural and 82 district party committees surpassed the last Party Congress level, and I would like to express our appreciation for their work.

We have an important lesson to learn from the past six months of party activity in which we achieved a regular monthly increase of Akahata subscribers in line with our major electoral advance.

And this lesson is the importance of making constant efforts to ensure regular monthly increases of Akahata subscribers. The 2nd CC Plenum stressed the need for devoted efforts to achieve regular monthly increases in Akahata subscribers. If this work had been done by the whole party, it would have certainly meant even greater results before this Party Congress.

In fact, a number of prefectural and district committees have got great results in achieving regular monthly increases of Akahata subscribers, and surpassed the 20th Congress level. On this, we want you to turn your attention again to the importance of achieving constant monthly increases of Akahata subscribers. This is an important lesson.

Viewed from a wider perspective, there are some other problems in the current situation as regards increasing Akahata subscribers.

The increase of Akahata subscribers has not followed the same pattern of development as the increase in party membership. Advances in elections come first, followed by an increase in party strength. For example, we have received a considerable number of phone calls from across the country asking for an Akahata subscription. The number of such phone calls is a record. This means that in many localities throughout the country there are many people who have seen the party's current position and want to read Akahata. But around them, they cannot find any party organization or party member to talk to about it. Those people phone party headquarters even from some remote places to take out an Akahata subscription. There have been a considerable number of such phone calls. This is a new aspect which we must give attention to in developing our activity for more Akahata subscribers.

One problem is that party activity has not yet reached the new supporters who have dramatically increased in this turbulent situation.

Our traditional activity for getting a steady advance of Akahata subscribers has mostly been limited to working on those who are relatively close to the party. But in this situation of growing marked interest in the party, in which we can really begin to feel somewhat free from "the barrier of misunderstanding" about the party, this kind of activity is not adequate for reaching the new wide range of JCP supporters arising out of the situation. How to extend party activity in this connection and the kind of ties we should have with such people--this is a new problem. Only when we develop daily ties with these new JCP supporters can we further strengthen and ensure their support for and trust in the party. This can also help prepare further advance for the party. This is the problem I would like you to give your attention to.

In the area of increasing party strength, nationally we have had very many new experiences which we have not had before in party activity, although they have not yet become the mainstream of party activity. The whole party must learn the maximum from these positive experiences, spread them nationwide and use the maximum wisdom in tackling this new task, and achieve an increase in party strength to meet the situation.

The other problem is how to strengthen, on the basis of party branch organization, the system of publishing, maintaining and further increasing subscription to Akahata, our newspaper, to a level of several million copies, including delivering it and collecting subscription fees, in order to meet the new stage of party development.

It is a long time since the party carried out major reform in this field in the name of a "revolution in organ paper activity." There are problems, the solution to which has been delayed by force of habit. They include the problem of the excessive burden borne by local assembly members and the leading members of party bodies, the problem of party branches often failing to fulfill the task of strengthening everyday ties with Akahata readers in localities and workplaces and of the stable distribution of the paper and the collection of subscription fees, plus other problems. With fresh determination to drastically reconstruct the system of organ paper activity including its distribution and the collection of fees, we must go back to our starting point and seriously tackle the task of establishing a system of organ paper activity appropriate to the current situation, which has now become all the more important.

By strengthening our efforts covering these points, let us work to achieve "10% of JCP general election voters as party members and 50% as Akahata subscribers" as proposed by the 6th CC Plenum, within the 20th century, the date set by the draft Congress Resolution.

Propose Important Points on Party Building Efforts

The next question is the task of party building and developing party activity, appropriate to the new situation. On this point, special efforts must be made for quantitative development of party activity, and at the same time the quality of its content and level must be strengthened and improved. I want to stress that building party bodies and branches with such capacity is now all the more important.

The basic policy on this is made clear in the draft Resolution, so I want to propose some important general points in relation to such efforts, rather than on particular tasks.

First: We must give importance to political activity and mass activity through which the JCP is represented in every region and locality.

The first point is that both branch and leading bodies of the party must give importance to political activity and mass activity through which we represent the JCP in every region and locality.

Both for branches and leading bodies, political activity and mass activity are more important than ever, including political propaganda among a wide range of people, activity for taking up residents' demands, exchanges with organizations and individuals in all fields, organizing symposiums, forming common fronts and joint struggles based on various tasks and Progressive Unity Forum activity, etc. We must give more importance to these activities and expand them.

Activity on local politics is particularly important. Even now there are some party bodies which only tackle local politics when elections take place every four years. Actually many voters who have expectations for progressive changes in national politics watch what the JCP does in local politics which they are familiar with. It is an important duty of party bodies to take necessary steps and make the necessary effort in the interests of residents, on the various questions which arise in local politics. Needless to say, as the Party Constitution makes clear, party bodies have the duty to give leadership and assistance to local assembly members and their groups.

This concerns our direct responsibility to the voters. You should bear in mind that if a party body gives no attention to what is happening in the municipality which it covers, it is not qualified to politically represent the party. I would like to reiterate that we must give importance to activity in local politics as the field in which the JCP's real value is tested among the electorate as a whole.

Second: To pursue the principle of "party branches as the key players" in party life

Secondly, it is important to pursue in party life the position that "party branches are the key players."

As the draft Congress Resolution stresses, the main objective for every branch must be to establish a majority force in all of local communities, workplaces and campuses. On this basis we should work to establish a big vigorous party by developing ties with the mass of people. A party branch's "policy and plan" should be a project covering a given time with the aim of boldly and systematically working to accomplish these main objectives. All party branches in the country are required to have such grand aspirations and perspective and to promote activity worthy of being the "key player." This is the first point.

Leadership by party bodies should be for helping branches to fulfill the role of "key player" both in name and reality and to develop this as mainstream activity of the party. This must be thoroughly pursued.

"Leadership to encourage party branches to be self-reliant and creative" and "political leadership for giving individual party members encouragement and confidence," which the draft Congress Resolution stressed, must not be just words but must be really applied in actual party life.

It is regrettable that there is still a tendency in leading bodies that while they refer a lot to the principle that "party branches are the key players" as a fashionable phrase, as regards day-to-day leadership they still impose numerical targets without a clear grasp of the situation in the branches. Such a tendency must be overcome and specific leadership given, based on the principle that the branches are the key players.

To deal with this question, it is necessary for:

(a) Political and theoretical leadership to be given priority, for helping and encouraging party branches and members to fully understand the character of the situation and the content of party policy, and to carry out activity with confidence;

(b) Party bodies to fully discuss the party's national policy, such as party congress decisions and Central Committee decisions, and take hold of them;

(c) Party bodies to concretely grasp the situation in the branches and work to help solve their problems, in cooperation with them;

(d) Party bodies to give positive leadership and assistance to those party branches which are stagnating or regressing, to get them on the track based on the principle that "party branches are the key players."

These are indispensable points for giving leadership.

To give such leadership, it is important to raise the political and theoretical level of party bodies. This must never be neglected.

Raising the theoretical level does not mean that all leaders must be able to write articles. Of course they have to make constant efforts to understand deeply the Party Program's line and the theory of scientific socialism. But as regards day-to-day activity, it is necessary to give importance to the effect that leaders and activists in party bodies should try to understand party policy with real political conviction. For example, when a particular policy is proposed, it is important to specifically and deeply grasp with conviction why such a policy has been put forward and the policy's characteristics and the basis for the policy being able to change the situation in a progressive direction.

As regards discussion in party bodies, they should take steps for discussion to go deeper until there is full conviction, that is, taking the discussion further than just giving their impression after reading any document only once.

In the pre-congress discussion, some raised the question of what "political leadership" is. The fundamental point is what I have mentioned. Leaders at all levels should make efforts to take hold of party policy and help branches and members fully understand the situation and the policy, so that they can consciously tackle pressing tasks with confidence. This is the character of "convincing leadership" and "encouraging leadership." The key point is the spirit that "leadership means winning agreement" as the JCP 11th Congress decisions explain in detail.

For example, the leadership of party bodies includes holding meetings of party branch leaders. This can be a most important opportunity for getting to grips with the all-round situation of party organization and for developing common understanding and determination in relation to the situation and policy. Therefore, there must be every effort made to fully prepare for such meetings so that comrades attending from branches will say, "It was a really good meeting."

Concerning leadership, the problem of giving indirect leadership still remains. This is not common to all party organizations in the country, but it is still an unresolved, deep-rooted problem in some party organizations in Tokyo and elsewhere. A district committee is divided into several sections based on the areas of support for local assembly members, and the day-to-day leadership of the branches is sometimes left to one of these sections or combination of these sections. We describe this indirect leadership as leadership through "mezzanine." If a district committee only leads branches through such auxiliary bodies, it cannot give full effective leadership based on direct connection between the district committee and the branches. This is the root cause of the bureaucratic system by which the activity, opinions and feelings of branches are not reflected in leading party bodies. The solution to this problem must not be postponed on the pretext that "it is a longstanding custom," but must be tackled with all seriousness.

Of course, in local election campaigns a common practice is to establish an organization for each candidate by combining the work of relevant party branches. The problem, however, is that this system often remains in place after the campaign period as a permanent organization for daily activity, which weakens direct relations between the district committee and the branches. This is an unacceptable weakness, which we must overcome.

Finally, in developing activity based on the principle that "party branches are the key players," the important thing for a party branch is to understand the party's national policy including CC plenum decisions and to carry out activity based on them, without waiting for intermediate leading bodies to give the policy shape. This has often been stressed. On this point, it is important that party branches have the attitude of quickly grasping the party's national policy and applying it of their own volition in branch activity. For this purpose they should promptly read and discuss the published policies and make great use of the satellite communication system which conveys up-to-date national policy.

This Congress Report is being seen live by many comrades in many prefectural and district committee offices. Since the last Congress, prefectural and district committees have installed receivers and get reports on Central Committee plenums and on important speeches and lectures. But the system's use varies from region to region. We want to improve the system for it to be an important part of party activity so that in future more party members can view the satellite broadcasts.

Third: The need to develop the skill for conducting and leading election campaigns

The third question concerns the need to develop the skill for conducting and leading election campaigns.

In many of the party's important struggles, not only the day-to-day leadership for branches, but the political leadership capacity of party bodies is fundamentally tested. Election campaigning especially is a major test of the political leadership capacity of every party body.

In fact, election campaigning at national and local levels is the most important part of party activity for establishing a majority. Even in common national circumstances, whether leadership by party bodies is good or bad or strong or weak can determine whether progress is made or setback and failure is the result. All our election experiences have made us keenly aware of this.

On this matter, I want to mention several important points which must be kept in mind: First, party bodies must have correct, deep understanding of party national policy. Even when election policies have repeatedly been confirmed by party decision and tested through numerous election experiences throughout the country and have become the general formula for election campaigning, we often have the position in actual campaigning that such policy is only by chance applied halfway through and in some cases the opposite to party policy is being pursued.

Because there is constant regeneration of activists in party organizations throughout the country, we must always make sure that they fully understand party policy with a firm basis, otherwise it will not take root. Party bodies must understand this point and apply it. This is the first point I want to make.

Another point is that each party body must analyze the situation in each locality and region, and adapt policy to accord with the situation. Such work is the responsibility of the party body concerned. The party's national policy will only have vital power when it is adapted to the situation in each location. Studying the concrete electoral situation such as the political position including the state of the political parties, the political issues in relation to residents' demands, their demands and the position of the movement, and the position of the other forces and their problems, is a most basic activity connected with political struggle. If party bodies regard such activity lightly, they can not give effective political leadership in election campaigns.

Also, based on this analysis and policy, it is important for every party body to establish the united will of the party and supporters associations, and boldly organize activity. Generally speaking, putting forward a policy and not following it up gets us nowhere. The point is how much we can achieve, based on this policy, to stimulate conscious activity of the party organization and supporters association. To this end, every party body is tested for how much it grasps the real situation in the branches and the supporters associations, and for the steps it can take in the limited time available by exercising leadership and adopting necessary measures, etc. It is by such efforts that the political leadership of party bodies will specifically be tested. I also want every party body to boldly study how to effectively develop election campaigning.

These are just some of the key points. I hope party bodies, in addition to these points, will work hard so that in the particular area they cover they fully exercise their experienced leadership in the many election campaigns we have to undertake on the way to becoming a majority.

Fourth: Systematic Activity for Financial Support for Party Campaigning

The fourth point I want to make is about systematic activity for financial support for party campaigning. In short, we should not regard financial activity lightly. If we just regard party finance as something backroom professionals are concerned with, and is not of much concern for the party as a whole, we must rid ourselves of such ideas and the whole party must concern itself with this activity.

The JCP rejects fund donations by companies and organizations and state subsidies for political parties, and supports financial activity in cooperation with the people to support all party activity. This is a positive JCP tradition and an important source of the people's trust in the party.

The other day the report on the 1996 political parties' financial statements was published. The mass media responded in various ways to the report. A characteristic of these responses was the many positive remarks about the JCP's financial activity which finances itself without accepting political donations from companies and organizations and state subsidies for political parties. A newspaper editorial was titled "Political parties must work to be financially independent," which criticized political parties, except the JCP, for being dependent on state subsidies and said, "The present situation in which many parties are dependent on people's tax money for their political activity is not what a normal political party should do." It also expressed the straightforward opinion that "Of the main political parties only the Communist Party is completely financially independent, very much based on the revenue from its party newspapers." (Tokyo Shimbun, September 19, 1997) Here is the real value and attraction of the party's financial activity, which concerns the principles of a political party.

Such activity can only be maintained and developed by the concentrated conscious effort of the whole party. If we just regard party finance as marginal activity and just for the settlement of party activity accounts and do not work hard enough on it, we could make some serious mistakes. This is the important point. From this position, based on nationwide experiences, the 4th Central Committee Plenum regarded the payment of party dues as having a "very political character" in relation to party building, and highly appreciated the example set by the prefectural and district committee chairpersons who are taking a lead and making serious efforts on this. We want to drive this home to the whole party.

In this respect the JCP has the potential for making solid advances. The party succeeded in collecting 900 million yen throughout the country for the 1996 general election deposits. This wonderful achievement surprised political circles and was a good example fully showing the party's potential that I have mentioned. This proves that as long as the JCP moves forward with the people, there will exist a broad basis of financial support for the party among the people.

We should not limit this to being a fleeting success, but on the basis of this achievement, we must make further efforts to develop financial activity on a sound basis.

Party bodies face various difficulties in relation to their finances. A characteristic in recent years has been that in spite of extremely difficult circumstances, many district bodies have solved their problems by their own efforts. If you look in more detail at how they did this, you will find it was not achieved by any special means.

Take one district committee, for example. They had a very difficult financial position. They had an annual debt of millions of yen, and 10 million yen arrears. But they overcame their annual debt position in under two years. Asked how they did it, they said there were three key points: They regarded collecting party dues as important and worked to increase percentage collected, established a system for collecting Akahata subscription fees based on the branches, and raised funds from the mass of the people based on the principle that the "branches are the key players."

Another district committee had debts and arrears of 30 million yen three years ago. It now has a sound financial position with no debts and no arrears. The lessons this district committee also learned were to develop financial activity based on collecting party dues and Akahata subscription fees without fail, and organizing fund-raising campaigns by encouraging the initiative of the branches with no allocation.

Finally, fully carrying out of the "three principles of party finance" was the key to their success. This is the important lesson the whole party should learn.

We should regard party finance as a mainstay of party activity and give it adequate attention, and also establish a financial setup to ensure making a steady advance.

Fifth: Developing Party Leaders and Activists in Systematic Way--Question of Successors

Fifth, I want to speak about developing party leaders and activists in a systematic way and the question of successors.

For all party bodies, branches, and groups in the mass organizations and in all other fields of party activity to carry out party activity with a long-term perspective, we must consciously and systematically tackle the question of successors. Now that we are in a period, in terms of new party members, of a big upturn, we must boldly address this question. The Central Committee will continue to plan party schools for local party leaders in the 20s to 30s age range. We also want local party organizations to make greater efforts in this area.

For the whole party to solve the question of successors, as the last Congress emphasized, the most important long-term task is to recruit from broad strata of young people and to help the Democratic Youth League of Japan develop. We will strengthen our efforts on this at central and local levels.

Sixth: Question of the Party's Quality Standards

The sixth question is on the party's quality standards. Although the party has taken a few steps forward, we naturally expect to have to go through various situations in future struggles for political change. When thinking about the point the party has reached today, I guess many comrades will remember with deep emotion the period of the party's struggle against hegemonism in the 1960s and the second reactionary offensives since the 1970s, through which the party was trained and prepared to meet the present stage of development.

In this period of party advance, our aim is to build a big party, a party which is capable of repelling any type of attack by the reactionary forces, a party which is capable of establishing close ties with still broader strata of people, and for this, special efforts must be made to build a party which has high quality standards in the fields of theory, politics and organization.

The aberrations in social life will filter through into the party in various forms unless we make the conscious effort to keep the party free from them. As a party with the aim of establishing a new society and politics, we must naturally play a leading part in tackling problems connected with class and social morals, and even problems related to the moral behavior of citizens. In the activity of JCP assembly members and their groups who represent the party in the political arena, we must give special attention to this point. I call on the whole party to make the effort on all aspects to build a party with new qualities appropriate to the new advances the party has made.

On Reports of Control Commission, Audit Commission and Petition Commission

The JCP 9th CC Plenum on September 20 received comprehensive reports from the party's Control Commission, Audit Commission and Petition Commission on their activity in the last three years, and these were approved by the Central Committee. Let me report on this.

The Control Commission report said that a characteristic of the position on party discipline in the last three years, was that the number of breaches of party discipline related to lack of confidence in the party's basic policy, was far less than in the preceding comparative period. This is an important point which reflects the advance made in the political and ideological unity of the party. It is also reported that even in the face of persistent espionage activities by the secret police there were cases in which party members had poor understanding of the nature of the secret police. We won a great victory in the court struggle on the Yasuo Ogata, former JCP International Department head, wire-tapping case. The security police have learned no lessons from this and are continuing with their espionage activity. In such circumstances, educational guidance to party members on the matter continues to be of importance.

The Audit Commission reported on financial activity and property administration by the Central Committee, and on the Dietmembers Group accounts, and stated that every account had been properly administered.

The last Congress specified in the Party Constitution the role and importance of the Petition Commission. According to its report, they received on average 100 appeals a year, with varying content. Based on the three principles of speed, accuracy and responsibility, the Commission sincerely dealt with the appeals, which underlines its conviction that settlement of these problems has given party unity a further impetus.

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