Statement by Yasuchika Hasegawa, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On the Dissolution of the House of Representatives

November 16, 2012

Yasuchika Hasegawa
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai

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Through cooperation among the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komei Party, agreement was made today on all the conditions Prime Minister Noda had set for his decision to dissolve the House of Representatives. Those conditions, such as enacting the bill to issue special bonds and the bill to redress vote value disparity at the House of Representatives election by adjusting small electoral districts by the +0/-5 method, in addition to launching the National Council on Social Security within the month, were all agreed upon and the House was dissolved.

Taking the current severe economic circumstances and the future prospects of Japan into consideration, the snap general election should take place as early as possible, especially when it serves as a step to creating an environment to realize "politics with decisiveness." I consider Prime Minister Noda’s decision an outcome of his deliberation, and I believe it is quite reasonable in its timing. The Prime Minister's resolution deserves appreciation. I hope the Prime Minister makes bold decisions on the necessary steps for Japan to take part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

Toward the general election one month ahead us, I would like to renew my request for each political party to determine its manifesto based on broad consensus among party members, and then to thoroughly disseminate it to the general public. I expect the manifesto should include concrete targets, priorities, feasible measures and necessary financing to achieve them, schedules and ideas for a system to review the progress of key political issues.

Japanese version