60085    The outline of "the New Year's Message" announced by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama was as follows.

60086    After the Murayama Cabinet was established, we completed one of the significant stages in long-standing and difficult issues, such as political reform, tax revision, the Atomic Bomb Victims Relief Law and others.

60087    On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, we will address the establishment of "a creative and gentle country" to realize the prospects of the next 50 years and aim at a great leap "from reform to creation."

60088    The first thing to achieve is "creation of a free and active economic society."

60089    Administrative reforms, including deregulation, review of government-affiliated corporations, promotion of decentralization, and information disclosure will be carried out.

60090    The second goal is "creation of intellectual assets which will be handed over to the next generation," and we will promote more satisfactory basic studies and more creative technological development to create new industrial fields.

60091    The third goal is "the creation of a gentle society where everyone lives in peace."

60092    We aim to establish a gentle society where people live in peace, despite the aged society with a decreasing birthrate, as well as realizing a society without guns and drugs.

60093    In the fourth item, "the creation of world peace established by international contribution which is suitable for our country," we will address individual issues on misdeeds of the last war.

60094    Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who returned to Oita Prefecture, his hometown, for the first time after he took office, completed his four-day schedule to arrive at Haneda Airport by a Japan Airline flight in the evening of December 31.

60095    He told journalists, "In spite of my sudden return to Oita, the local people welcomed me warmly, so I was very grateful to them in my hometown. I felt that I must make further efforts in response to their anticipation."

60096    This year, the Socialist Party is going to address the realization of the "new democratic and liberal party" concept upon which the existence of the party is staked.

60097    We will determine the organization policy of the new party at the extraordinary convention that is scheduled for around February 11, and will be appealing to other parties and citizens' organizations.

60098    However, while almost all the members of the former Democratic Socialist Party participated in the New Frontier Party, we have not yet decided our partner, as our connections with New Party Sakigake are still unstable.

60099    Since "the New Democratic League" has not changed their policy to start a preparatory committee for their own new party this month, the executive members including Wataru Kubo, General Secretary of the SPJ, will be forced to effectively manage the party in the difficult situation in which the party may split.