DPJ's manifesto vows to help households and weaken bureaucrats
(From The Japan Times July 29 issue)

生活支援と脱官僚を掲げた民主党公約

The Democratic Party of Japan has announced its manifesto for the Aug. 30 Lower House election. It has two pillars: scheduled measures to directly help households and steps to end bureaucracy-led politics.

To help households, the DPJ proposes a monthly allowance of ¥26,000 for a child up to middle school age, zero tuition for a public high school student and a minimum ¥70,000 monthly pension; plus a lower tax for smaller corporations, income compensation for farmers, a ¥100,000 monthly allowance for a jobless person in job training and making expressways toll free.

To secure funds, the DPJ calls for a comprehensive reordering of national budgets totaling ¥207 trillion a year, abolishing wasteful spending, changing the tax system and using reserve funds in the special account. But there is no guarantee that this approach will work. The manifesto does not discuss the possibility of raising the consumption tax, which might become necessary. It does not mention specific funding sources for the first fiscal year under a DPJ-led government, either.

The DPJ's proposals entail increasing the tax burden on some households and reducing public- works spending. The party will need to persuade voters on these matters.

To wrest more control of politics from bureaucrats, the DPJ proposes sending some 100 Diet members to ministries, abolishing vice minister meetings — which have set the agenda for Cabinet meetings — establishing instead a Cabinet committee, and creating a national strategy bureau directly under the prime minister to set basic budget policy and present a national vision, and a bureaucracy renewal conference. The DPJ needs to work out the details of these proposals if it wants to come to power. Its call for slashing by 80 the number of Lower House members elected under proportional representation amounts to the suppression of minority opinions. The DPJ's foreign policy proposals, such as strengthening Japan-U.S. ties based on an equal footing, are too general. It also does not mention its earlier opposition to Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. The party has a lot more explaining to do.

民主党が、国民生活の直接支援と官僚主導政治打破を柱とした衆院選の政権公約を発表した。子ども手当、公立高校の無償化、月額7万円の最低保障年金、中小企業支援税制、農民への所得補償、月額10万円の求職者支援制度、高速道路無料化などを盛り込んだ。

財源確保は、総予算207兆円の抜本的組み替え、税金の無駄遣い根絶や税制見直しなどでというが、消費税引き上げの可能性には言及していない。一部の世帯の税負担増と、公共事業縮小も伴う。

脱官僚の策には、政府に国会議員100人以上を配置、首相直属で予算編成する国家戦略局等の設立を挙げたが、詳細の決定が必要だ。衆院比例定数80議席削減の案は民意切り捨てになる。外交政策は曖昧で、インド洋での海上自衛隊の給油活動にも言及していない。もっと説明が必要だ。