2 years of Koizumi government reveals the worst of LDP politics -- Akahata editorial, April 25

The Koizumi Cabinet will be two years old on April 26.

Shouting, "I'll destroy the LDP," Koizumi Junichiro became the president of the Liberal Democratic Party and began to push forward with "structural reforms in all areas without exception". The start of the Koizumi government sort of symbolized the crumbling LDP politics. The two years of the Koizumi Cabinet only shows that it allied itself with the Komei Party to actually crank up the worst kind of LDP government instead of tearing it down.

Livelihoods go from bad to worse

After forming his cabinet amidst deep economic recession, Koizumi delivered his first policy speech putting forward the slogan, "No economic recovery without structural reform". Two years later, all economic indicators, including the unemployment rate, the number of bankruptcies, and the income growth rate, are worse than ever. People's living standards are declining. "Life is harder and harder each year," and "it's tough to pay more hospital bills and insurance premiums with no pay-hikes." This is what people are complaining about everywhere.

We must not forget that the Koizumi government is to blame for bulldozing through measures that caused more bankruptcies and unemployment in disregard of people's criticism or opposition from the Japanese Communist Party.

Prime Minister Koizumi decided to "prioritize" the disposal of bad loans held by banks. Last autumn, he "accelerated" this policy, resulting in more bankruptcies and corporate restructuring because of an increase in bank refusals to lend money. Banks have imposed higher interest rates on and forcibly withdraw loans even from sound companies. In the name of "fiscal reforms," Koizumi has carried out wholesale cutbacks in social services, including the pension system, medical insurance system, nursing care system, and in unemployment benefits, and shifted heavier burdens onto the public. These adverse changes are destroying the Japanese economy and people's livelihoods. It is not without reason that people are expressing resentment toward the Koizumi Cabinet.

During the last two years, many corruption scandals involving politicians have been revealed. They included the abuse of the secret funds earmarked for the Cabinet Secretariat, the bribery involving lawmaker Suzuki Muneo, and the suspicion of money-for-influence by former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Kato Koichi. Of the past LDP governments, the Koizumi Cabinet is the worst in that it has failed to take any measures against these incidents of political corruption.

In the foreign policy front, the government has had to deal with the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, followed by tumultuous events, including the U.S. retaliatory war against Afghanistan, the North Korea question, and the lawless U.S. attack on Iraq. The turbulence has put Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro in such a woeful position that he has been unable to respond to international changes and has supported whatever the U.S. president says and does. Internationally, he has exposed himself to be a cheerleader for the U.S.A.

The Koizumi government has sent a Self-Defense Forces' Aegis ship to the Indian Ocean to assist the U.S. forces there. It was quick in expressing support for the U.S. attack on Iraq without a United Nations resolution. The government is now desperate to get the contingency bills enacted to enable the Self-Defense Forces to assist the U.S. forces in military action. The Koizumi government is thus destroying the constitutional principles of peace and endangering the peace of the world.

Ruling parties are to blame for the misgovernment

Although the support base for the Liberal Democratic Party is waning rapidly, the Koizumi government is continuing with undemocratic policies thanks to the prop provided by the Komei and other parties. The Komei Party helps the LDP not only by systematically supporting the LDP but also by waging extraordinary attacks on the Japanese Communist Party, which is leading the head-on struggle against the misgovernment of the LDP and the Komei Party.

Let us put an end to the Koizumi government as quickly as possible. The present local elections will provide us with a good opportunity to elect forces that will not fail to defend our livelihoods. The election must also pass severe judgment on the LDP and the Komei Party that support the Koizumi government, and achieve a JCP advance to continue to defend people's livelihoods in national and regional politics. (end)