 Prime minister not aware of adverse effect his policy will have After taking the floor in the House of Representatives Plenary Session on behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, Kokuta Keiji, JCP Diet Policy Commission chair, told reporters how insensitive Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro is to hardships that his foreign and domestic policies will cause the public. He said, "Frankly, I am appalled by his answers to my questions. He completely lacks the ability to comprehend how seriously his policies will undermine the standards of living and endanger Japan's peace and Constitution." He specifically pointed out that the prime minister does not comprehend the adverse effect of the government plan to force people to pay an extra seven trillion yen even though the government acknowledges that the nation's economy is supported largely by personal consumption. Kokuta also criticized Koizumi for failing to respond to his question concerning ruling party officials' political pressure on NHK, saying, "I clearly showed the facts that persons in the nerve center of the government interfered with the public broadcaster, but he revealed that he has no awareness of his responsibility for the matter." (end) |