Koizumi cabinet's one month in office and Progressive Unity Forum: JCP Fuwa

In his one-hour speech at the annual meeting of the National Forum for Peace, Democracy and Progressive Unity (Kakushinkon) on May 26 in Tokyo, Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo outlined the one month of office of the Koizumi cabinet in relation to the Forum's role.

First, Fuwa said that the cabinet, though colored by the call of 'structural reform,' began exposing its real aim to push ahead with public works projects, hush up the government's secret funds, and dispose of bad loans.

For example, the cabinet wants to complete two worthless projects: the reclamation at Isahaya Bay, and the construction of the Kawabe River dam, Fuwa added.

On the secret state funds issue, including the illegal flow of foreign ministry money to the Cabinet Office, Koizumi supported an irresponsible Diet response by an incumbent minister who only three months ago testified on his experience of using the money to buy the influence of some opposition Dietmembers, Fuwa said.

A market research specialist warned that the government bad loans disposal plan, if enacted, will mean committing the worst kind of error.

Next, as indicated by his arguments of exercising the right to collective self-defense, a plan to officially visit Yasukuni Shrine, and call for an adverse revision of the Constitution, the Koizumi cabinet stands out in its hawkish policy. Even successive LDP governments in the past have not so openly called for such arrogant demands, Fuwa said.

The Democratic Party of Japan, now arguing that Koizumi is copying DPJ policies, is unable to stand against LDP politics, he added.

On high support rate for the Koizumi cabinet

Referring to the high support rate of 80-90% for the Koizumi cabinet, Fuwa said that this represents the people's indignation at, and disapproval of LDP politics, and that they don't want LDP governments to continue as they are. They are not a silent majority giving an overall approval to him.

Koizumi's victory in the LDP presidential election suggests that the LDP's nationwide organizational basis, such as industrial and administrative organizations, are beginning to break down. At present, it seems that the LDP under Koizumi will not be able to reorganize itself by making full use of his high popularity, Fuwa said.

Fuwa predicted that the LDP's foreign policy will be one of the major weaknesses of LDP politics. Under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the LDP depends on the U.S. on all issues by resorting to the use of force (money and military force) not based on reason.

Referring to the remarkable JCP efforts based on reason in relation to the questions of North Korea, South East Asia and Taiwan, Fuwa called for a greater JCP role in establishing Japan's peaceful ties with foreign countries. (end)