Japan Press Weekly

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2023 October 18 - 24 [POLITICS]

Shii comments on PM Kishida’s policy speech

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on October 23, asked by reporters in the Diet building for comments on Prime Minister Kishida’s policy speech given earlier on the same day, said, “His speech has clearly revealed the misgovernment of his economic policies.”

Shii continued to say, “The ongoing price surge is dealing a blow to people’s everyday lives, but PM Kishida in his speech didn’t present the general public with an outlook to make a breakthrough out of this situation.”

Noting that PM Kishida mentioned that the “30-year-long policy of cost cutting” has resulted in Japan’s stagnant economy, Shii pointed out, “It is the Liberal Democratic Party government itself that has been promoting wage restraint, cuts in social welfare spending, tax breaks for large corporations, and increases in the sales tax.”

He said, “PM Kishida has shown neither reflection on nor intention to shift from the ‘cost-cutting’ economic policies. LDP economic policies are reaching an impasse. PM Kishida has repeated the word ‘economy’ three times but had nothing to show us how to break the impasse.”

Shii criticized PM Kishida’s speech for saying nothing about Japan’s position in regard to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Shii explained that the JCP denounces not only Hamas but also Israel for acting in violation of international law. He added that the Japanese government should urge Israel to abide by international law and should make the best use of its connection with both Israel and Palestine in order to persuade them to sit at the negotiating table to arrange a ceasefire.

Past related article:
> Shii calls for immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel [October 15, 2023]