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2004 FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17 NEWS

KOIZUMI PUBLICLY SAYS HE WANTS CONSTITUTION TO BE REWRITTEN
No prime minister in the past has been so blunt as to use his parliamentary statement to call for the Constitution to be rewritten in conflict with his duty as the guardian of the Constitution.

U.S. INVESTORS WILL GAIN WINDFALL PROFITS
Ripplewood will gain in profit six times as much as it has invested by selling its shares of Shinsei Bank which has used eight trillion yen in tax money to rebuild itself.

PART-TIME WORKERS ACT TO WIN DECENT WAGES
Nearly 1,600 part-time and other contingent workers held a rally in Tokyo to demand decent wages, equal treatment with full-time workers, and an end to employers' arbitrary termination of job contracts.

IRAQ
* Defense Agency admits to telling arms manufacturers to keep requests in secret (February 13)
* Company engineers are ordered to go on a 'business trip to combat zones' (February 13)
* 12,000 people attend 'Let's bring back SDF from Iraq!' rally in Tokyo (February 14)
* MSDF ships leave for Iraq (February 16)

CONSTITUTION
* Prime Minister Koizumi wants Constitution to be rewritten (February 11)
* Komei Party shows its willingness to take part in discussions on constitutional revision (February 13)

WAR
* Increasing remarks in approval of war of aggression (February 12)
* Citizens' campaign for DU abolition starts (February 14)

BANKING
* U.S. investors will gain windfall profits from TSE-listed Shinsei Bank (February 17)

WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION

Do not repress whistleblowing -- Akahata editorial, February 17

LABOR AND LIVELIHOOD
* Government submits bills to adversely revise pension system (February 11)
* JCP submits a bill for equal treatment between regular and non-regular workers (February 11)
* Workers stage protest against world's major auto manufacturer (February 12)
* Part-time workers act to win decent wages (February 14)

CORRUPTION
* JCP begins investigating police misuse of tax money (February 12)
* Japan Dental Association's political arm is suspected of falsifying reports (February 13)

YOUTH
* DYLJ determined to build stronger organization (February 16)
* Fuwa to young people: JCP new program is path to exploitation-free society (February 16)
* Youths petition lawmakers to remove difficulty in finding jobs (February 17)

REMEMBER BIKINI
* Remember Bikini Tragedy: 'Lucky Dragon' exhibition hall refurbished (February 16)

'NATIONAL FOUNDATION DAY'
* Rallies held against 'national foundation day' (February 12)

INTERNATIONAL
* Fuwa attends reception for anniversary of Iranian Revolution (February 11)
* JCP welcomes Japan-DPRK agreement to continue bilateral talks (February 17)

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