Cooperative Democratic Party

A centrist political party founded on May 24, 1946 (Showa 21) by the merger of the Japan Cooperative Party with smaller parties such as the Hyuga Democratic Party and the Japan Agriculturalist Party. Chaired by Yamamoto Sanehiko, the party had 36 members at the time of its founding. The party's founding spirit was based on cooperative ideology, and its policy outline included the abolition of capitalist monopolies and feudal elements. It developed policies that aimed for a middle path between capitalism and socialism, and occupied a unique position in postwar politics in contrast to the Liberal and Progressive Parties, which were unable to break ties with prewar conservative politics. However, as the party continued to expand, its character gradually became ambiguous, and in March of the following year, 1947, it merged with the National Party to become the National Cooperative Party.

[Kenji Yoshida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1946年（昭和21）5月24日、日本協同党が中心となり日向(ひゅうが)民主党、日本農本党などの小政党との合同によって生まれた中道派の政党。委員長山本実彦(さねひこ)、結党時の所属議員36名。立党の精神に協同組合主義をうたい、政策大綱でも「資本の独占と封建的要素の打破」を掲げるなど、資本主義と社会主義の中道を目ざす政策を展開し、戦前保守政治との絆(きずな)を断ち切れない自由・進歩両党と対比して、戦後政治における独自の位置を占めた。しかし同党はその後、党勢拡大を進めるなかでしだいにその性格をあいまいにし、翌1947年3月国民党との合同を図り、国民協同党となった。

［吉田健二］

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