Japanese Communist Party more than doubles seats in election

[Mr. Piccolo]

The Japanese Communist Party has more than doubled its number of seats in Japan's lower house of parliament, going from 8 to 21 seats following Sunday's Japanese general election. The JCP now has enough seats to initiate legislation.

Despite the fact that Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party still has a two-thirds majority, along with its coalition partner, the Buddhist-affiliated Komeito party, Abe's claims to having a popular mandate seem strange considering that voter turnout was the lowest in post-war Japanese history, with only 52% of eligible voters showing up to vote.

Despite the fact that the JCP is more of a social democratic party than a revolutionary party, the Japanese election seems to be a strong indictment of Japan's status quo.

[Halert]

Why should we be happy that a party with mad love for the petty bourgie won?

The JCP does not call for establishing socialism directly as some others do on the grounds that Japan is a developed capitalist country, but considers that democratic revolution within the framework of capitalism is indispensable. To defeat the rule of U.S. imperialism is a democratic task toward achieving national independence, and therefore it can be realized at the stage of capitalism. At the same time, defeating the rule of monopoly capital does not mean ending capitalism. This revolution does not change the form of possession for means of production for the small- and medium-sized enterprises, nor for monopoly capital, either. This means that democratic power restricts the rule of monopoly capital in order to protect the life and management of the majority of the people, including small- and medium-sized enterprises. Both tasks have characteristics to fully realize democracy within the framework of capitalism, and are needed urgently for developing Japanese society. That is why this is called the new "people's democratic revolution" against imperialism and monopoly capital. Only through the stage of achieving these tasks, can we surely open the road to socialism.
http://www.jcp.or.jp/english/e-tasiro-0611.html


the Japanese election seems to be a strong indictment of Japan's status quo.
If that is true, then why did the ruling coalition gain two-third of the votes?

[Atsumari]

I would be a bit down about a Eurocommunist party being the big left wing party, but then I saw Japanese radical left politics.
I am rather happy about the outcome of this election when comparing this to previous elections. A parliamentary left party has tripled their seats and the far-right parties lost 1/3 of their seats. Not that it will mean much since Shinzo Abe is still in charge, relatively popular, and seems to represent what other far-right parties were like 10 years ago.

[Tim Cornelis]

I'm pretty sure they are in favour of constitutional monarchy too.

[Atsumari]

They just see the Emperor as a figurehead. They are fine with the Imperial House existing as long as they are not political. Out of all their flaws, I really do not see how that it an issue.

[Halert]

I'm pretty sure they are in favour of constitutional monarchy too.

yes and no.


11. Call for the constitutional provisions restricting the role of the emperor (Tenno) to be strictly implemented, including the one that the emperor "shall not have powers related to government", and correct deviations from constitutional provisions and spirit, including the political use of the emperor.

The JCP maintains that "the present hereditary system allowing an individual to be the symbol of "the unity of the people" contradicts democracy and the principle that all people are equal, and that the consistent implementation of the principle of popular sovereignty calls for a political system to be established under a democratic republic. The emperor system is a system provided for by the Constitution, and its continuation or discontinuation should be decided by the will of the majority of the people in future, when the time is ripe to do so.

http://www.jcp.or.jp/english/23rd_congress/program.html

[Tim Cornelis]

They just see the Emperor as a figurehead. They are fine with the Imperial House existing as long as they are not political. Out of all their flaws, I really do not see how that it an issue.

Leaving aside what Halert posted, support for constitutional monarchy implies a support for a capitalist state. So it'd be a pretty big indicator that their politics have lost touch with socialism.

[Mr. Piccolo]

If that is true, then why did the ruling coalition gain two-third of the votes?

I am not sure how Abe can be said to have a popular mandate when almost half of the eligible voters did not even bother to show up for the election. The extremely low turnout indicates that the capitalist status quo in Japan is losing legitimacy. This is a trend in many rich industrialized countries.

The JCP is a reformist party, but its success shows that more people are willing to entertain at least some kind of alternative to neoliberalism.

The bigger issue is why so many Japanese sat out this election and what can be done to mobilize them for the Left, not necessarily for the JCP.

[RedWorker]

They're better than some other parties. Anyway, good to see the left is gaining votes, even if they are social democratic.

[consuming negativity]

e: nevermind

[o well this is ok I guess]

Why should we be happy that a party with mad love for the petty bourgie won?

If that is true, then why did the ruling coalition gain two-third of the votes? the reasoning is prob that it shows that japanese politics might cease to be so insufferably boring/stagnant. Still is, tho.

Anyways, who gives a shit about a party gaining "double the seats" when the party remains a)just as miniscule and b)just as politically irrelevant

[Atsumari]

I am not sure how Abe can be said to have a popular mandate when almost half of the eligible voters did not even bother to show up for the election. The extremely low turnout indicates that the capitalist status quo in Japan is losing legitimacy. This is a trend in many rich industrialized countries.

The JCP is a reformist party, but its success shows that more people are willing to entertain at least some kind of alternative to neoliberalism.

The bigger issue is why so many Japanese sat out this election and what can be done to mobilize them for the Left, not necessarily for the JCP.
Japan has already experienced a large left wing mobilization in the past in response to the politics of the JCP and it was just awful. Japan would be better off with idealistic social democrats than a new left movement

[Mass Grave Aesthetics]

Japan has already experienced a large left wing mobilization in the past in response to the politics of the JCP and it was just awful.
What are you referring to here?

Japan would be better off with idealistic social democrats than a new left movement
How so? What do you mean exactly?

[jullia]

Japan is the last country, i see as open to left ideas. I remember they are a kinf of revolutionary army/terrorist group but it was really a small movement.

As other people said, it's probably a left party in Japan but if you compare the program they should probably consider as a right/center party in Europe.

[Mass Grave Aesthetics]

As other people said, it's probably a left party in Japan but if you compare the program they should probably consider as a right/center party in Europe.
I don't think so. They seem more leftist than the most left-wing party in the Icelandic parliament f.e. (judging by their program).

[jullia]

It seems they support the japanese claim in Kuril island, Sentaku islands and other. I don't know if it's not some kind of japanese imperialism.

[Atsumari]

What are you referring to here?

How so? What do you mean exactly?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zengakuren
They are cooler when you know less about them.
I will make a blog post about the Japanese New Left later

[Rosa Partizan]

I'm not opposed to voting as I've been voting each time I got the chance since my naturalization, but doesn't it somehow ring a bell when a party that acts within the state mechanisms and rules calls themselves communist? I mean, it's the prototype of an oxymoron.