A new party of tax money-mongers: JCP

A new party, the New Conservative Party was established on December 24 as a result of a merger between some opposition Democratic Party members led by ex-deputy leader Kumagai Hiroshi and the ruling New Conservative Party. The English name will remain the New Conservative Party.

Commenting on this at a press conference on the same day, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said:

"In one word, the birth of a new party reveals a lack of political ethics, and such a merging and parting of Dietmembers completely makes fool of the people."

"Every year end we see such political moves aimed at pocketing the distribution of government subsidies to political parties, and defending their own political existence."

Asked about the easy-going shift by Kumagai and others from the opposition to government party, Ichida said, "More people are aware that an opposition party should more clearly set out alternative policies to counter Liberal Democratic Party politics.

Ichida went on to say, "Kumagai and others who seceded from the DPJ became Dietmembers through public vote in elections in which they advocated being in opposition. However, without consulting with voters, they crossed to the government side. Nothing is so shameless as these tax money-mongers."

Kumagai became the New Conservative Party leader, and Nikai Toshihiro (former Conservative Party secretary general) will be secretary general. The new party is expected to be composed of 13 lawmakers, nine from the Conservative Party and four from the DPJ.

At the December 26 meeting of the three coalition government parties, the Koizumi Cabinet was replaced with another LDP-Komei-NCP coalition. (end)