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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Koizumi 'reform' is a deception, Shii says

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference on February 2 commented on the initial stage of debate in the current Diet session that revealed the Koizumi "reform" to be false and his cabinet to be lacking political ethics. The following are the main points he made in the news conference:
Fake
The deregulation policy of the Koizumi Cabinet in the name of "reform" gave rise to the quake-resistance fraud, the Livedoor scandal, widening social disparities and poverty, and failure in blocking the import of unsafe U.S. beef. In this fake "reform," the basic structure of corruption has been maintained.

Arrogance
It is typical of the Koizumi Cabinet to become defiant and arrogant in the face of criticism, which is a mark of lacking political integrity.

Disparities
Prime Minister Koizumi said that disparities are not altogether bad. What forces do the government and politicians represent, if they allow disparities to widen? It should be the role of the government to redress disparities if they increase.

Yasukuni Shrine
The crux of the issue is that Yasukuni Shrine's view of history justifies Japan's war of aggression. It is unacceptable for the prime minister to describe critics of his Yasukuni visits as Chinese or South Korean agents.

The foreign minister's statement urging the emperor to visit Yasukuni Shrine represents the pro-Yasukuni forces' ambition for the shrine visits to be upgraded to a national event with the emperor, the prime minister and all cabinet ministers, as well as chiefs of the three branches of government attending, so that Yasukuni's view of history be officially recognized as national opinion.
- Akahata, February 3, 2006