Investigate suspicions first -- Akahata editorial, October 19 (excerpt)

Dismissal of Fujii Haruho as Japan Highway Public Corporation (JHPC) president has caused confusion.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ishihara Nobuteru asked JHPC President Fujii to submit his resignation on the grounds that Fujii concealed financial data unfavorable to the JHPC. At the hearing to proceed with the dismissal, Fujii rejected the government arguments to dismiss him. To make matters worse, it has been reported that Fujii in his talks with Ishihara referred to corruption involving Liberal Democratic Party politicians representing special interests in road construction in connection with the sale of state land to the JHPC and in awarding contracts for road construction.

Confusion comes from party politics

Confusion surfaced when the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, which previously defended Fujii, saying that there was no problem, suddenly changed its attitude after Ishihara took over Ogi Chikage as transport minister and demanded Fujii's resignation.

Clearly, the reshuffled Koizumi Cabinet uses the question of JHPC President Fujii for party politics selling the LDP's "reform" policy in the election campaign.

It should be noted that Ishihara on a TV program said that Fujii in the talks with Ishihara disclosed the initials of politicians with vested interests in road construction and said that there were suspicions concerning the sale of national land.

Given these reports, the government must be prevented from covering up the suspicion by rushing to dismiss him.

Investigate corrupt relations

The JHPC's huge debt of 40 trillion yen (363 billion dollars) from building wasteful and unprofitable highways has arisen from cozy relations between the government, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, the JHPC, the LDP, and the construction companies.

The Japanese Communist Party makes the following three points on reforming the JHPC: stop constructing wasteful highways; schedule repayment of the debt; and streamline the JHPC.

The JCP maintains that a thorough investigation into the collusive ties must come before any reform effort. (end)