The New Clean Government Party (公明党) or NKP, -- often translated as 'New Komeito Party', is a political party in Japan affiliated with the religious movement Soka Gakkai. It is Japan's answer to Germany's CDU. The present New Clean Government Party was formed as a result of a merger between the Clean Government Party (Former) and the New Peace Party on November 7, 1998. The New Komeito is widely understood to be the political arm of Soka Gakkai to achieve the aim of making Soka Buddhism the state religion of Japan and, ultimately, the world. Daisaku Ikeda, head of Soka Gakkai, is considered the de facto head of New Komeito. Ikeda has said that the purpose of Soka's political involvement is to institute "Obustu Myogo," or "Buddhist democracy," a theocratic state. The party is a right-wing, conservative party, yet is a theocratic Soka Gakkai Buddhist party as well.
The Party's mission is to pioneer "people-centered politics, a politics based on a humanitarianism that treats human life with the utmost respect and care" (New Komeito, 2002). Domestically, the Party proposals include reduction of the central government and bureaucracy, increased transparency in public affairs, and increased local (prefectural) autonomy with the private sector playing an increased role. With regard to Foreign Policy, the Party wishes to eliminate nuclear arms and armed conflict in general. In so doing, the party hopes to bring about the "dawn of a new civilization of mankind" (Ibid).
The New Komeito Party had a predecessor with a similar (though more to the left and very radical) ideology, but the current conservative, more moderate, party was formed in 1998, as noted, between a merger of the Clean Government Party and the New Peace Party. It supported the ruling Liberal Democrats and did well in the 2000 and 2001 Parliamentary elections.
In the 2003 and 2004 Dietary elections, the New Komeito Party did well thanks to an extremely committed and well -organised voter base in Soka Gakkai. As the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, it is becoming a major political force in modern Japan.
Currently, the party is in a majority coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), so it effectively supported sending Japanese troops to Iraq in 2004.
The party shares its support base with the LDP, made up of white collar bureaucrats and rural populations, but also gains support from religious leaders.
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See also
External links
The official website of New Komeito. It has a very organized English section with history, policies, and party platforms. It has both an e-mail form and also an e-mail address.