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Shii: JCP will stand for people-oriented reform At a pre-national election debate on June 21 in Tokyo, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo stressed, "The outcome of the approaching House Of Councilors election will have a very important bearing on Japan's course concerning peace and living conditions." The debate was organized by the Japan National Press Club three days before the official start of the campaigning for the House of Councilors election and was also attended by Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro who is also the Liberal Democratic Party president; Kanzaki Takenori, Komei Party president; Okada Katsuya, Democratic Party of Japan president; and Fukushima Mizuho, Social Democratic Party president. Emphasizing that the major issues are pension reform and the consumption tax, which directly affect people's living conditions, and the Self-Defense Forces' participation in the multinational force in Iraq as well as the planned adverse revision of the Constitution that will undermine peace, Shii said: "The JCP will make every effort to emerge as a party that changes away from policies subservient to the United States and the corporate sector." Pointing out that "70-80 percent of participants in opinion polls say 'No' to the enacted adverse revision of the pension law," Shii demanded that the revised pension law be suspended and called for a national discussion to establish a reliable pension system. JCP Shii criticized the ruling and some opposition parties for moving toward increasing the consumption tax rate in fiscal 2007. Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro of the Liberal Democratic Party irresponsibly argued that future pension premium increases are inevitable, whoever the prime minister will be. On the Iraq question the DPJ was criticized by the ruling parties for failing to live up to its earlier promise to support SDF participation in the multinational force under a new U.N. resolution. On the issue of the SDF's role in the multinational force, Shii stated, "The JCP opposes any move to further gut constitutional principles and demands that the SDF be withdrawn from Iraq." Pointing out that both the ruling and some opposition forces are seeking to revise the Constitution, Shii said, "We will do everything possible to increase national efforts to defend the Constitution." Prime Minister Koizumi said that the LDP, committed to revising Article 9, can cooperate with the Komei Party on the task. DPJ Okada said, "There is a strong opinion within our party in favor of Japan's cooperation in the U.N-led collective security. Shii said the discussions showed that there is not much difference between the "two major parties," the ruling LDP and the opposition DPJ, in their policies concerning consumption tax rate increases and constitutional revision. He said, "The public is gradually becoming aware that a "two-party system" will not pave the way for true political reform." (end) |
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