Japan Press Weekly

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2011 October 26 - November 1 [POLITICS]

PM will sow misery not ‘hope’: JCP Shii

Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko on October 28 delivered his second policy speech to both Houses’ plenary session.

Noda at the beginning and end of his speech said that “the preparedness and caliber of politicians are being called into question.” He also used the word “hope” nine times, saying, “Sow seeds of hope!”

Facing political difficulties because of the slow progress in the recovery from the 3.11 disaster and the Fukushima nuclear crisis and by the high-yen recession, not only disaster victims but also the general public are demanding policies giving them hope for a better future.

However, what the prime minister intends to do is impose a tax hike on the general public under the guise of funding post-disaster reconstruction works; enter into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade pact; and relocate the U.S. Futenma base to Henoko. These are demands from the Japanese business circle and the U.S. government.

Asked by reporters to comment on the PM’s policy speech, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said, “What he showed was his intention to further ‘sow misery’ by negatively affecting people’s livelihoods.”

Shii also said, “Many people are criticizing the government’s move to participate in the TPP and to transfer the Futenma base within Okinawa. However, Noda is unwilling to respond to these criticisms. We will react to his intransigence aggressively.”