Criticism arising against Tokyo governor's anti-communist remark

Criticism is welling up against Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro for using the Tokyo metropolitan assembly, together with the Komei Party, to denigrate the Japanese Communist Party as a "hyena," thus offending the dignity of the assembly.

In a special budget committee meeting of the metropolitan assembly on March 16, a Komei Party member stated that what the JCP listed as its achievements are "all lies." In response, Governor Ishihara said, "I feel they (the JCP) are like a mean hyena carrying others' game off."

His remark threw the assembly meeting into an uproar for a while.

The JCP Metropolitan Assembly Group immediately demanded that the governor retract the remark and apologize.

Other political parties represented in the assembly also criticized the governor and the Komei Party for expressing anti-communist slander during the assembly session.

Miura Masakatsu of the Independent Club in the plenary session on March 29 criticized the governor's remark for trampling on the dignity of the assembly. If the assembly overlooks this kind of act, it will seriously affect assembly competence, he said.

The Social Democratic Party in its March 29 comment on the assembly session stated that the governor remark was indiscreet.

Hayashi Tomoji of the Democratic Party of Japan in the March 27 special budget committee remonstrated with the Komei Party about having spurred the governor to make the anti-communist remark.

Fujita Aiko of the Seikatsusha Network in the same committee meeting also criticized Hamauzu Takeo, vice governor, for jeering at the JCP, and the governor for behaving badly during assembly sessions. She demanded more grace and morals from them. (end)