Agrarian Party (Akashi)
Agrarian Party 農民党 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃𐍄𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌴 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻ᚴ𐌾𐍉 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | AP |
| Founded | 1940 |
| Dissolved | 1980 |
| Merged into | Green Party |
| Ideology | Agrarianism |
| Political position | Centre to Centre-left |
| National affiliation | Light yellow bloc |
| Colours | Green |
The Agrarian Party (Miranian: 農民党 Nōmintō; Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃𐍄𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌴 𐌳𐌰𐌹𐌻ᚴ𐌾𐍉 Waurstwjanē Dailkjō) was an agrarian political party in Akashi.
Founded in 1940, the party was initially part of the light yellow bloc, together with the National Union and National Cooperative Party. It gradually moved to the left over time, taking part in Socialist Party-led coalition governments during the 1970s. It merged with the Green Party in 1980.
History
Founding
The party was founded in 1940, as a consolidation of agrarian organisations that existed before the Akashian Civil War. It made a good performance at that year's Constituent Assembly election, winning 8,4% of the vote and finishing fourth among parties.
Decades in the centre
During the years of National Union dominance, it formed part of a centrist bloc with the National Cooperative Party and National Union. Thus, it provided outside support for Yurika Ehara's government in exchange for measures such as land reform and the support of agricultural cooperatives.
The NU's dominance prevented the AP from making much headway, with it also being weak in rural areas. The party was weakened by an internal split, with the left-wing supporting the common land system while the right-wing advocated private landholdings. This was nicknamed the "Delkoran matter" (デウコラの問題 Deukora no mondai), in reference to the split between the Agrarian Party and Farmers' Alliance.
Moving left
The party kept a low profile during the Summer of Freedom, but the protests polarised its factions and led to a confrontation. Between 1968 and 1970, the left-wing gained the upper hand and purged the right-wing faction, most of whom instead joined the Liberal Party or, in extreme cases, the Freedom League.
It participated in Yurikara's national unity government between 1968 and 1970, but was left outside Masaki Ōshiro's coalition.
The collapse of the NU in 1972 finally opened space for the AP to grow within the light yellow bloc, but this was outweighed by the new prominence of the left.
Starting in 1972, the party was part of coalition governments led by the Socialist Party, generally holding the agriculture ministry portfolio. During the "siege economy", it managed to secure achievements such as the expansion of agricultural cooperatives and implementation of buffer stock schemes and single desk marketing. Despite its economically nationalist profile, it built good relations with agrarian parties in fellow Common Sphere members.
Due to the challenges of the "siege economy", the AP made an early turn towards organic farming, which fit with its existing opposition to industrialised agriculture and support of the family farm. This brought it closer to the fledgling Green Party.
Party leader Hikaru Katayama briefly became the party's only Prime Minister of Akashi from 10 January 1979 to 1 September 1980.
Dissolution
It voted to merge with the GP in 1980, which took effect before that year's snap election.
Platform
The AP was an agrarian party. It was characterised by strong economic nationalism, advocating agricultural protectionism and dirigisme in the agricultural sector, which included price controls, buffer stock schemes and single desk marketing. It viewed self-sufficiency in food as a matter of "national survival", and sought to practically abolish imports of food.
Although the party advocated economic interventionism, the question of land reform and private land ownership was a major internal issue in its early years, causing factionalisation among the left and right. The party's left wing triumphed after the Summer of Freedom and purged the right wing, ending the debate in support of the common land system.
In the long term, the party faced the erosion of its base of support due to the industrialisation and urbanisation of Akashi, and thus broadened its previously exclusive focus on agriculture through closeness with the Socialist Party and Green Party. Its early shift towards favouring organic farming in the context of the "siege economy" helped bring it closer to the ecological consciousness of the GP, which laid the ground for their 1980 merger.
Election results
National Assembly
| Election | Party list | Constituency | Seats | +/– | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR votes | % | STV votes | % | ||||
| 1940 | 137.857 | 8,4% | 10 / 245
|
 10
|
Outside support | ||
| 1942 | 126.800 | 7,2% | 15 / 200
|
5
|
Outside support | ||
| 1946 | 146.748 | 7,0% | 15 / 200
|
|
Outside support | ||
| 1950 | 143.261 | 6,0% | 12 / 200
|
 3
|
Outside support | ||
| 1954 | 173.814 | 6,0% | 12 / 200
|
|
Outside support | ||
| 1958 | 197.116 | 6,0% | 12 / 200
|
|
Outside support | ||
| 19621 | 528.597 | 14,0% | 14 / 200
|
2
|
Outside support | ||
| 1966 | 254.122 | 6,2% | 13 / 200
|
1
|
Outside support (1966–1968) | ||
| Coalition (1968–1970) | |||||||
| 1970 | 306.460 | 6,4% | 263.661 | 5,5% | 10 / 200
|
3
|
Outside support |
| 1972 | 365.422 | 7,3% | 424.538 | 8,5% | 20 / 200
|
10
|
Coalition |
| 1974 | 371.842 | 7,2% | 411.759 | 8,0% | 18 / 200
|
2
|
Coalition |
| 1978 | 376.591 | 6,8% | 383.837 | 6,9% | 18 / 200
|
|
Coalition |
1 Result for the whole Centre List, consisting of the National Cooperative Party and AP.
Presidency
| Election | Candidate | First round | Second round | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| 1940 | Zeshin Oda | 170.265 | 10,4% | Lost | ||
| 1945 | Zeshin Oda | 197.199 | 10,5% | Lost | ||
| 1950 | No candidate | |||||
| 1955 | No candidate | |||||
| 1960 | No candidate | |||||
| 1965 | No candidate | |||||
| 1970 | No candidate | |||||
| 1975 | No candidate | |||||
