The draft text of the amendments to the JCP Program
As we, the Japanese Communist Party holds the 28th Party Congress on January 14-18, we are pleased to publish the draft text of the amendments to the JCP Program and the related explanatory materials in English, which are on the agenda of the Congress to come.
The draft text of the amendments to the JCP Program which the 8th Central Committee Plenum adopted is as follows. Passages underlined are to be deleted. Phrases and sentences with bold type are to be added. Others are the same as in the original.
III.(Delete) World Situation - From 20th Century to 21st Century
The World in the 21st Century
(7) The 20th century began with monopoly capitalism and imperialism dominating the world. During the 20th century, humanity underwent worldwide ravages of two world wars, fascism and militarism, and a series of wars of aggression. But these calamities were overcome through efforts and bitter struggles by peoples, paving the way for enormous historic changes to take place.
The colonial system, which chained many nations under oppression, collapsed completely, and the right of nations to self-determination became a universally accepted principle, and more than 100 countries achieved political independence to become sovereign countries. These countries are the main components of the conference of the non-aligned countries as an important driving force in international politics for a world that is peaceful and based on self-determination of nations.
Democracy with popular sovereignty now forms a current accepted as a political principle by the majority of the world's countries, thus becoming the main trend of world politics. Regarding the issue of human rights, the standard of international human rights has been established based on the rich development of social rights in addition to civil liberties. Defending and developing human rights has become an international task.
With the founding of the United Nations, the illegalization of war was set as the historical course of development, and the building of an international order for peace that will prevent war was set forth as the world's objective. In the light of what the world experienced in the 20th century, in particular the wars of aggression and opposition to attempts to carry out such wars, the increasingly pressing task is for the peoples of the world to establish an international order for peace.
Among these enormous changes, the collapse of the colonial system was the greatest one that profoundly transformed the structure of the world and promoted the development of democracy, human rights, and the international order for peace.
(8) (Delete)The era of capitalism as the only system dominating the world ended with Russia's October Socialist Revolution that broke out in 1917. After World War II, a number of countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America embarked on the path of breaking away from capitalism.
Russia’s October Socialist Revolution broke out in 1917, and after World War II, a number of countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America embarked on the path of breaking away from capitalism.
In its early stages under the leadership of Lenin, the Soviet Union, the first country to begin taking a road to socialism, registered a series of positive efforts to aim for socialism in spite of the social and economic backwardness it faced at the start as well as trial and error it had to go through. In particular, its recognition of the right to national self-determination as the basis of its foreign policy prompted the collapse of the world's colonial system.
However, after Lenin's death, Stalin and other successive Soviet leaders discarded the principles of socialism. Internationally, it took the path of hegemonism through invasion and oppression of other nations and domestically imposed bureaucratism and despotism that deprived the people of freedom and democratic rights and repressed the working people. All the more because these were committed under the name of "socialism", these errors had particularly adverse effects on the movement for world peace and social progress.
A party of sovereign independence in defense of scientific socialism, the JCP firmly opposed the interference by Soviet hegemonism in the Japanese movement for peace and social progress, as well as the armed Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan.
The breakdown of the ruling system that occurred between 1989 and 1991 in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries which were subordinate to the former was not due to a failure of socialism; it was a failure of hegemonism, bureaucratism, and despotism that departed from the cause of socialism. At the outset, revolutions in these countries called for socialism as their objective, but due to the errors committed by their leaderships, these societies grew so repressive that they had nothing in common with socialism and as such came to an end.
The downfall of the historical and colossal evil of Soviet hegemonism, in the long run, formed a new element for strengthening the move toward peace and social progress in the world. It paved the way for new possibilities leading to the sound development of the world's revolutionary movement.
(Delete)It is important to note that today, several countries that broke away from capitalism are beginning a new quest for socialism, including the effort to "achieve socialism through a market economy", although they still have political and economic problems to solve. This constitutes a historically significant current in the 21st century as an effort that covers vast regions with a total population of more than 1.3 billion.
(9)The structural change in the world which took place in the 20th century, i.e., the collapse of the colonial system and the creation of more than one hundred of new sovereign nations, has begun to demonstrate its vital power promoting peace and social progress in the 21st century.
The era when a handful of major powers were dictating world politics as they saw fit is over, and a new era in which all the countries in the world become the main protagonists in world politics on an equal footing is now beginning. It is a new feature that civil society, together with various governments, has been playing a major role as an active participant in international politics.
The call of the atomic bomb survivors for "No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis" and the voices of Japan and the world demanding the abolition of nuclear weapons have made such a great difference in international politics that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a first-ever treaty to illegalize nuclear weapons, has been created. Though the forces that refuse to give up nuclear weapons are persistent in continuing to buttress their monopoly over nuclear weapons as a pillar of their military strategy, this reactionary trend is being cornered and isolated by the governments and global civil society aspiring to create "a world without nuclear weapons."
In Southeast Asia and Latin America, the trend of regional cooperation for peace was generated and has been growing despite difficulties and complexity involved. It is noteworthy that these regions have taken efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully, uphold their independence against interference by outside major powers, and have become the source of worldwide efforts working for the abolition of nuclear weapons by concluding the nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties. In particular, a significant contribution to the peaceful order of the world was achieved when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) built a regional community for peace based on their treaty that advocates a peaceful resolution of conflicts and has been strengthening this resolution throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Based on the standards of global human rights created in the middle of the 20th century, the international norms that eliminate discrimination against women, children, people with disabilities, minorities, migrant workers, indigenous peoples, and others and that guarantee their dignity have been accepted. The global trend that demands gender equality has had significant influence and the move to eliminate economic and social discrimination and all forms of violence against women is now a task being addressed by the international community.
(10) (Delete)The disintegration of the Soviet Union and other countries did not serve to prove that capitalism is superior. Capitalism's contradiction arising from its inability to control the enormously developed productive power has its expression in the largest scale and sharpest form ever in the worsening living conditions of the broad strata of the people, the widening gap between rich and poor, repeated economic recession and massive unemployment, rampant speculative financial investment beyond national borders, the global destruction of environmental conditions, the serious effect of the negative legacy of colonialism, as well as the (Delete)exacerbating poverty, (Delete)or the North-South problem, in countries of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
In particular, the unprecedented worldwide expansion of the gap between rich and poor and climate change, which is causing various disasters on a global scale, has questioned the sustainability of the capitalist system itself in the 21st century, and the struggle to properly deal with these issues is of vital significance for the future of humankind.
(Delete) The danger of nuclear war continues to threaten the mother earth and humankind. Enormous stockpiles of nuclear weapons, which were accumulated during the U.S.-Soviet arms race, continue to be a great threat to the survival of humankind. To get rid of the threat of nuclear war, nothing but the abolition of nuclear weapons can be the alternative. The call for "No More Hiroshimas! No More Nagasakis!" which grew out of the World Conference against A & H Bombs, is now heard everywhere throughout the world. In international politics, the call for nuclear weapons to be abolished is continuously increasing, but the forces that refuse to give up nuclear weapons are persistent in continuing to buttress their monopoly over nuclear weapons as a means of pursuing their world strategy.
Attempts in many regions of the world to strengthen military (Delete) blocs alliances and adopt military-first approaches toward settling international disputes, the increase in international terrorism, and the rise of ethnic exclusionism have been the cause of increasing tensions which threaten the peace.
It is particularly grave that the United States (Delete) putting its national interests above the interests of world peace and orderly international relations, carries out its preemptive attack strategy against other countries in disregard of the United Nations and tries to impose a new form of colonialism. The United States proclaims to be "the world's policeman" in order to justify its sinister design to impose a U.S.-led international order and dominate the world pursues military hegemonism, in which it puts its national interests above the interests of world peace and orderly international relations, prepares and carries out its preemptive attack strategy against other countries in disregard of the United Nations. The United States has set up its network of military bases throughout the world and holds itself in readiness to intervene and attack anywhere in the world. This is nothing less than a blatant expression of the aggressive inclination of imperialism, which is peculiar to monopoly capitalism. (Delete), under conditions in which the United States stands aloof from the rest of the world as the sole remaining superpower as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union. These are blatant policies and actions of hegemonism and imperialism, which are incompatible with the principle of national independence and freedom or with the principles established in the U.N. Charter.
U.S. imperialism is now the greatest threat to world peace and security as well as to the sovereign rights and independence of nations.
The U.S. quest for hegemony and its imperialist policies and actions are even causing contradictions and rifts with other monopoly capitalist countries. The pursuit of economic hegemony aimed at forcing the rest of the world into a U.S.-led economic order in the name of economic "globalization" is also bringing disorder to the world economy.
It should be noted that despite the nature of U.S. militaristic hegemonism, under the transformation of the world structure, an attempt to solve international disputes through diplomatic negotiations has shown itself in U.S. reaction to international issues.
The great-power chauvinism and hegemonism that have increased among some of major powers has become an adverse current to world peace and progress. It is grave that the struggle for hegemony between the U.S. and other emerging powers has intensified and created new tensions in the world.
(11) The above-stated situation makes it more important than ever to develop the struggle against any form of hegemonism and the struggle in defense of an international order for peace, the struggle for the abolition of nuclear weapons, the struggle against military (Delete)blocs alliances, the struggle to have the right to national self-determination respected and defended from violation, the struggle to defend and strengthen democracy and human rights, the struggle to establish a democratic international economic order based on respect for national economic sovereignty, and the struggle to curb climate change and protect the global environment.
It is important for the forces working for peace and social progress to make efforts to achieve their advances and solidarity in appropriate forms both nationally and internationally.
The Japanese Communist Party supports the struggle for the progress of humanity in solidarity with the world's working class and all people who are fighting for the cause of national independence, peace, democracy, and social progress.
(Delete) It is particularly important to note that the major question today is that the world must choose In particular, we are faced with the fundamental choice between two international orders: one of peace based on the U.N. Charter and the other (Delete) plagued with intervention, aggression, war, and oppression giving the United States freedom to be tyrannical of a hegemonistic international order which violates the independence and sovereignty of nations. The JCP will do all it can to build up international solidarity to help stop (Delete) U.S. hegemonism from dominating the world, hegemonistic interventions, war, oppression and domination by any nation, establish an international order for peace, and achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world and a world without military alliances.
(Delete) In the context of these developments the world entered the 21st century. Although there may be numerous ups and downs, twists and turns as well as temporary or long-term retrogressive movements in the course of history, it will be inevitable in the long run for social development to be achieved through overcoming imperialism and capitalism and advancing toward socialism.
IV. Democratic Revolution and Democratic Coalition Government
(13)
[National independence, security, and foreign relations]
4. A new Japan will develop peace diplomacy in line with the following basic points:
-- Attach importance to promoting friendship and exchanges with Asian countries on the premise that Japan expresses remorse for its war of aggression and colonization in the past; establish a framework for regional cooperation for peace in Northeast Asia based on the principle of peaceful resolution of conflicts.
[Constitution and democracy]
3. (Delete)Give all Japanese citizens who are 18 years of age or older the right to vote.
6. Create a gender equal society; Defend and guarantee equality of rights between men and women in all fields; respect women's independent personality; raise women's social and legal status; remove obstacles to women's social participation and contribution; and eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
[Economic democracy]
3. Fundamentally change Japan's policy for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (Delete) as well as its energy policy that gives importance to efforts to increase the self-sufficiency of food, establish safety-first energy supply systems and raise the self-sufficiency in energy with a view to securing the safety of people's living conditions and the effective use of domestic resources with the focus on the multifunctionality such as increasing the self-sufficiency of food, securing safe and reliable food, and preserving land; and promote agriculture as a key productive sector in the government's industrial policy.
4. Decommission existing nuclear power plants, abandon research and development of the nuclear fuel cycle, and create a ‘Japan free from nuclear power plants’; achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions at an early stage to protect the future of humankind from climate change; give importance to protect the environment and improve the country’s energy self-sufficiency rate; and promote a radical shift to renewable energy.
V. For a Socialist/Communist Society
(18) (Delete) A quest for socialism/communism is not exclusive to Japan.
(Delete) The 21st century world will be an era characterized by an increase in currents toward overcoming capitalism and advancing to a new society. It arises from the sharpening economic and political contradictions and from popular movements in the developed capitalist countries; it arises from efforts to explore their peculiar ways to socialism in countries that broke away from capitalism; and it arises from the popular movements in many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America that are unable to find their way for future economic development within the framework of capitalism, even after achieving political independence.
The world so far has not undergone a full socialistic transformation from advanced capitalism with high socio-economic achievements. The effort to advance to socialism and communism in a developed capitalist nation is a new historic challenge for the world in the 21st century.
Socialist transformation emanating from a developed capitalist country is a task faced with special difficulties but rich and great potential as well. Based on the socialization of the means of production, this transformation will be realized by further developing the gains made in the capitalist era, such as high productivity fostered under capitalism, a system to socially regulate and manage economy, rules to protect people’s lives and rights, institutions of freedom and democracy as well as historical experiences of people’s struggles, and the rich individuality of human beings. Social changes in a developed capitalist country are the high road to socialism or communism. The role that the JCP should play is extremely important worldwide.
The JCP will make every effort to make the 21st century a century in which humanity records a historic advance toward constructing an association free of exploitation or oppression, while making efforts to fulfill those tasks of transformation to meet the needs of Japanese society at each stage of social development.
