September 15, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on September 14 at a press conference commented on the election of Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, pointing out that during the course of the election campaign, Suga displayed his lack of a concrete vision for a future Japan.

Shii pointed out that Suga won the LDP presidential election by pledging to continue with the policy line of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, which means that the LDP is determined to maintain this direction. However, he went on to say, it is clear that PM Abe’s policies have reached a dead-end in all fields, including domestic and foreign affairs as well as in political ethics and measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Shii noted that the continuation of the failed policies will not offer a bright future for Japan.

Shii also said that this point can also be seen in the fact that Suga has failed to present a meaningful vision for the future.

Shii then criticized Suga for underscoring the importance of “self-help, mutual-help, and public-help” in this order and that what Suga emphasized was self-responsibility. He stressed that a government that just requires people to depend on self-help efforts is irresponsible. Shii warned that reckless neoliberal policies which impose the self-responsibility principle on the general public will become even more cruel under the Suga-led ruling LDP.

Shii said, “Such a person is unfit to lead Japan’s politics. We will do our utmost to strengthen the collaboration between opposition parties and concerned citizens, defeat Suga’s LDP in the next general election, and establish a government of opposition parties.”

Past related articles:
> LDP sticking to Abe’s policy positions appears to be on sinking ship [September 5, 2020]
> In response to PM Abe's resignation, Shii calls for opening extraordinary Diet session [August 29, 2020]