Let’s Fight in General Elections through Struggles for Peace and Against Nuclear Arms	No.644 August 4, 2009
		We commemorates this August as the 64th anniversary of the bombings over Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Japan’s defeat in the World War II. Then on August 30 we will vote in the 45th round of general elections. The goals of our movements lie in struggles for peace and against nuclear weapons and in activities to defend Constitution which stipulates the pre-amble and Articles of Ninth and 25th. Let’s fight in the general elections to attain the constitutional objectives. LET’S FIGHT TO REALIZE OBJECTIVES OF CONSTITUTION! In Hiroshima 400 hundred people and in Nagasaki 270,000 – these are figures of the dead and injured due to the atomic bombings over the cities. Several hundreds of thousands of Hibakushas suffer even now from the aftermath. Japan, the sole country hit by the radioactive weapons in the war, has declared (explicitly) to the world to choose New Constitution, which renounces wars and possession of war potentials. Mankind cannot survive together with nuclear arms. In spite of this apparent fact massive efforts to exterminate this kind of weapons have been unsuccessful and the reality today is far from that goal. Now nuclear powers count nine countries, including Israel. Japan, at this crucial moment, must lead campaigns to eliminate nuclear arms. Former High-Ranking Military Officer Plans to Give Speech After the nuclear test of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in May this year, some government’s groups discuss openly nuclear build-up of the country. Lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who come from the military circle and former Air Chief of Staff Tamogami Toshio, in particular, advocate the nation’s nuclear armament. On the very day of August 6 (the Hiroshima’s Day), the Japan Council-Hiroshima, is scheduled to hold a symposium where Mr. Tamogami will give a lecture, rejecting a request to change the date raised by Mayor of Hiroshima, Akiba Tadatoshi. Another related incident is a secret agreement reconfirmed recently to undermine the so-called Non-Nuclear Three Principles. In November, 1967, then-Prime Minister Sato Eisaku proclaimed that Japan would not possess, produce and bring in nuclear arms. Since that time the administrations have observed the pledge as the state’s policy. As for possession and production of nuclear arms, international treaties can bind them, but as for entry, legislative force cannot afford. And therefore Japan has relied on the bilateral relations with the United States in terms of the entry of nuclear arms. The governments since then have explained; ‘as there is no request for prior consultation from the US authority, vessels and aircraft that port at and pass through the Japanese territory do not carry nuclear arms’. However, in August, 2007, US archives were opened to show the secret agreement. It was concluded by then-Premier Sato, who stated that a port call of a vessel with nuclear arms aboard did not constitute an entry of such weapons into the territory of Japan. The message has been conveyed to succeeding premiers and foreign ministers by way of vice ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In fact some of the former vice-ministers have testified that a bilateral accord had been made tacitly. The Aso government, however, denies even at the moment existence of the agreement. It is because truths are inconvenient: US ships which carry nuclear weapons aboard visit at Japanese port and pass through the territory. Covers Are Taken Off – Democratic Party of Japan It is good time for us to end the government led by Prime Minister Aso, who ordered to dissolve the Diet. According to the government, the jobless rate exceeds 5.2% and social services, including pensions and health and elderly care, have become worse. People’s anger has surged to the highest point. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), seeing the day to alter the LDP-New Komeito bloc approaching, has taken off its coat, fluctuating and changing in the political direction. The DPJ says ‘Yes’ to the Special Bill for Inspection of Cargo Ships and to the re-fueling mission in the Indian Ocean to the multinational troops. Even if DPJ wins to be a next government, pro-constitution forces will maintain the same stance: to establish a government which should rely on the constitutional principles and to enhance mass movements to stop campaigns to rewrite Constitution, organizing various social forces into a united struggle. That will curb a right-turn of the new administration. The New Socialist Party, fielding Candidate Hara Kazumi in the District-I of Hyogo Prefecture, has concluded agreements with various candidates who oppose amendment of Constitution. Let’s work hard to bring victories to all pro-constitution candidates.