GENERAL BLECTION IN JAPAN
By Ss. Okatani
TOKYO, Nov, 16 =~ The names of 917 candidates have been listed for the November 21 elections to the House of Representatives. Since 467 seats are at stake in the lower House, this represents the lowest nation-wide ratio of contests since the end of the war,
The Liberal Democrats are running 359 candidates, the Socialists 198, Democratic Socialists 59, Communists 118, minor parties 64, independents 119, In the total list 18 women are contesting for office,
The Liberal Democratic party expects more than 300 to be returned, The Socialist: party is seeking to win more than one=third of the 467 seats, or 156, which is sufficient to block any amendments to the constitution, The Democratic Socialist party, with only 14 seats in the Diet before it) was dissolved in preparation for the new elections, is trying desperately to better its position, ; _ Seats in the last Diet were | gavidea as follows: Liberal Democrats,
288; Socialists, 1357; Democratic Socialists, 14; Communists, 5; independents, 3. .
On Foreign Policy
The two major parties. remain as sharply divided as: ‘ever on foreign © policy. On immediate. issues, the Liberal Democratic party’ plans to continue efforts to normalize relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, and to approve U.S. nuclear submarine calls at Japanese ports. The Socialists oppose both steps, While the Liberal Democrats reject any kind of neutrality, the Socialists continue to stress that the basis of foreign policy should be the liquidation of the Japanese~American security system at the earliest practical date; that is, 1970 when the present Security Treaty is due to be either extended or terminated,
The Communists are concentrating efforts on the struggle against normalization of relations between Japan ‘and the Republic of Korea and against U.S. nuclear submarine calls, There are many Koreans in Japan, the majority of whom favor the Korean People's Republic, It is said that the Korean Communists in Japan outnumber the Japanese Communists, Although the Korean Communists in Japan have their own organizations, they strongly influence what goes on in the. Japanese Communist party, especially the party's stand on relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea,
. Opposition to U.S. nuclear submarine calls at Japanese ports constitutes the focus for the whole antinuclear weapons and antiwar struggle. Since the Hiroshima conference last summer, the antinuclear campaign has been divided, The Socialists and Communists are vying for leadership in the struggle against nuclear submarine calls,
On. Domestic. Policy
_ The major “domestic political issue at present is the rising cost of
wliw
ad living. The Socialists accuse the Ikeda administration of responsibility, since prices of consumers goods began sky-rocketing after inauguration of the Ikeda cabinet,
The Socialist party handed the Liberal Democratic party a six-point . questionnaire concerning government policies for coping with rising commodity prices,
In the questionnaire, the Socialists raise six aspects of the problem:
(1) In relation to price stabilization measures already on the books, the Socialists ask why price rises have continued unchecked "despite administration efforts,
" (2) The Socialists note that wholesale prices should have dropped in. view of increased productivity and demand to know what the factors are that are contributing to the still higher price level,
(3) In relation to public utility rates the Socialists ask the Tories of the Liberal Democratic party to make a public election pledge not to approve any further increases, If the administration feels that it cannot make such a pledge, the Socialists demand to know how it hopes to bring down the over-all cosmodity price trend,
(4) In reference to a projected improvement in distribution of ‘consumer goods, Ikeda is asked whether, in his opinion, farmers and fishermen are to blame for the rises in the price of perishable foodstuffs or whether . he admits government responsibility for the situation, The Socialists urge Ikeda to formulate concrete plans for renovating the system of distribution and to indicate how soon the price trend of key commodities could be ‘Stabilized under such plans.
(5) As to the alleged relation between commodity prices and wages, the Socialists ask Ikeda if he attributes the rise in prices to wage increases and if so what are his grounds for such a supposition,
(6) Concerning the effect of rising commodity prices on the national income, the Socialists demand to know if the Prime Minister admits that the low-income brackets have been hardest hit by. spiraling prices,
The fact that the opposition parties are limited to mere verbal criticism of the Tories on the issue of commodity prices is an indication of the weakness of the struggle of the Japanese workers movement against the Ikeda government, The working-class parties are not expected to make any remarkable showing in the general election but the Socialist party will likely gain a few seats and the Communist party. will probably win an increase in the number of votes.