Four opposition parties agree on urging Koizumi Cabinet to resign

Leaders of the four opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, in a meeting on May 23 agreed to demand that the Koizumi Cabinet immediately step down. They also promised to resolutely confront any undemocratic action of the ruling coalition parties over contingency legislation.

The four parties concluded that contradictions and defects of the three bills on contingency legislation are coming to light; that the ruling parties have a plan to use their majority to get these bills enacted, violating parliamentary democracy; that the opposition parties united will confront this outrageous plan; and that the Koizumi Cabinet, which clearly lost the people's confidence, should immediately step down.

At a news conference after the meeting, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo said that the four opposition parties' agreement to demand an immediate resignation of the Koizumi Cabinet and to join forces to oppose the ruling parties' steamroller approach to enacting wartime legislation has great significance. (end)