Ordinary Diet session closes toward general election

The 156th ordinary Diet session, which was extended to 190 days to enact the Iraq law, closed on July 28.

The struggle in the Diet was focused on three contingency bills to allow the Self-Defense Forces to take part in the U.S. war abroad, the increase in unemployment and business failures caused by the bad loans disposal policy, and the government plan to increase health insurance premiums from 20 to 30 percent.

On the Iraq war which the United States and Britain started on the allegations of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Shii said that the war has been based on an enormous lie, and that Prime Minister Koizumi shares the blame in supporting that lie. He called for a struggle to prevent the SDF troops from going to Iraq where contradictions are deepening between the U.S.-British occupation forces and the Iraqi people.

He warned that the government has a plan to promote its "reform" policy in complete disregard of the people's living conditions and the actual economy, including tax increase plans. He stated that the JCP proposal to make large corporations fulfill their social responsibility is what the Japanese society needs now. He called for a victory of the JCP in the general election, because the JCP is the party that can answer the people's calls for peace and better living conditions. (end)