61713    While it is natural that the ways of the spring offensive has changed, it is desirable to have real wage increase even if only bit by bit.

61714    A society where we can expect a better quality of life, even if only slightly, as long as we maintain a simple and steady lifestyle.

61715    On the eve of the real kick-off of the spring labor offensive, we urge both labor and management to make efforts to create such a society.

61716    While this is nothing new, those who sit proudly on the" seat of politics" and therefore is expected to be prudent with words are actually very insensitive.

61717    The prime example is the word, "liberal."

61718    No formal explanation has been offered yet from the "New Democratic Liberal Party Preparatory Committee," of which members include the Social Democratic Party's Sadao Yamahana, the President of the New Democratic League (Shinminren), about their definition of "liberal."

61719    That is even though the concept development for this new party has already entered its final stage.

61720    While we get the idea that "liberal" is the generic term for non-Liberal Democratic and non-Shinshin (New Frontier), from what Mr. Yamahana and Secretary-General Wataru Kubo of the SDPJ have been saying it simply means anti-conservative, and no positive definition or specific details has been provided.

61721    The combination of single-seat constituencies and proportional representation is a system that ultimately assumes a political system with two major parties, but we are ambivalent about rushing into it at one go.

61722    In particular, if the two-party system is to consist of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Frontier Party at either end, it will be the epitome of a fully conservative system and we doubt whether it could address the diversifying needs of the people.

61723    The existence of a "third pole" to reflect the public's needs in politics which these two parties alone cannot respond to seems to be necessary for the time being.

61724    In that context, we see great significance in the development of the new party concept.

61725    However, we question adorning "liberal" or "democratic liberal" onto the name of this third pole without much thought.

61726    In fact, "liberal" has been in vogue in political circles even prior to the rise of the coalition era.

61727    Mr. Tetsu Ueda of Gokenshinto Akatsuki (literally, the New Guardian of Constitution Party) claimed to be the first "liberal," and there was also the Gokenriberarunokai ("Society of Liberals and Guardians of the Constitution") led by Mr. Hideo Den and other lawmakers.