Prime Minister Koizumi has exposed the hawk's nails: Akahata editorial of May 12 on Diet debates

Three-day parliamentary questionings of Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro's policy speech by representatives of government-opposition parties ended on May 11 in both houses.
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Without trying to conceal the hawk's talons, Koizumi said that the people should bear more burden in the name of 'structural reform,' and called for pushing ahead with his hawkish politics toward "constitutional revision."

It is unprecedented for a new prime minister in the first news conference or Diet answers to openly call for a constitutional revision, especially the dismantling of Article 9.

If a direct election system for the prime minister is introduced as Koizumi advocates, it will give unilateral political power to the prime minister and his government and executives, and take away the Diet's position as the highest organ of the state power.

Koizumi stated that it will be easily understood by the people if the constitutional revision is geared exclusively to the direct premier election system. He is trying to make the best use of this in order to break through obstacles for constitutional revision.

Koizumi has openly called for taking steps toward removing constitutional restrictions on effectuating the right to collective self-defense, saying that he would study the matter from various angles. This overrides successive governments' argument that it is unconstitutional. Koizumi keenly desires to dismantle the Constitution's Article 9.

The right to collective self-defense is not for defending Japan. It just means allowing Japan's Self-Defense Forces to join with U.S. Forces in military operations overseas.

The prime minister declared that he would perpetually maintain the Japan-U.S. military alliance as of vital importance.

His Diet answers on Japan's foreign policy is focused on military measures without advancing diplomatic options for peace. Is there any difference from the old policies of successive Liberal Democratic Party governments?

The new leader quoted former Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi's statement expressing 'remorse and apology' concerning Japan's colonial rule and aggression in Asia. If he said this sincerely, why did he support the passing of the government screening of a school textbook which praised Japan's war of aggression? Why is he going to visit and worship at Yasukuni Shrine where Class-A war criminals of WWII are enshrined as an ideological mainstay for waging the war of aggression?

Such an attitude will only lead Japan toward destroying the friendship between Japan and other Asian countries and make Japan an orphan again.

Prime Minister Koizumi is determined to push ahead with his extremely hawkish policy which successive LDP governments in the past have failed to implement. The need now is for the people to urgently develop public opinion and movements to block Prime Minister Koizumi's dangerous schemes. (end)