Where will the reshuffled cabinet take Japan to? -- Akahata editorial, September 23Following the reelection of Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro as Liberal Democratic Party president, an LDP leadership change took place, followed by the inauguration of the second Koizumi Cabinet.
Where will the reshuffled cabinet take Japan to? The appointment of Abe Shinzo as LDP secretary general took many by surprise. Koizumi kept Takenaka Heizo as state minister in charge of financial services, economic and fiscal policy to promote his "reform policy", and Sakaguchi Chikara was reappointed as Health, Labor, and Welfare minister. The new LDP leadership and the reshuffled cabinet reveal a desolate picture of Japan under an undemocratic government that completely neglects people's needs for better living conditions, peace, and the defense of the Constitution.
Intent on adversely changing the Constitution and raising consumption tax rate
Prime Minister Koizumi is known for making personnel decisions without regard for factional influence and without consulting anyone in advance.
In a sense, the appointments this time followed this style, but clearly reflect Koizumi's intention of rewarding those who contributed to his reelection as LDP president and with consideration for electoral advantage with the next House of Representatives general election and the next year's House of Councilors election in mind. The most obvious example is that three key LDP posts were filled by pro-Koizumi members from the Mori, Yamasaki, Hashimoto, and Horiuchi factions in the LDP presidential election, giving the impression that he is leading a new mainstream faction.
The question is what this cabinet reshuffle was really aimed at, beyond apparent consideration of "recognition of distinguished services"and electoral advantage.
Look at the appointment of Abe as LDP secretary general. He is a well-known hawk in the LDP. Yamasaki Taku, a long-time advocate of constitutional revision, was chosen to be LDP vice president. This lineup reveals that this cabinet is a very dangerous one that advocates adverse constitutional revision. Shortly before the LDP presidential election, Prime Minister Koizumi instructed his party to draft a revision of the Constitution by 2005, the LDP 50th founding anniversary.
Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro completely ignored public criticism of his "structural reform" policy when he kept Takenaka Heizo as state minister in charge of financial services and economic and fiscal policy, and Sakaguchi Chikara as Health, Labor and Welfare minister. Their reappointments are a manifestation of the Koizumi Cabinet's will to continue with its "reform" policy, including the speed-up of the disposal of bad loans at the expense of smaller businesses and undercutting the pension system that will force people to endure hardships.
Former minister in charge of administrative reform Ishihara Nobuteru was appointed as minister of land, infrastructure and transport in order to implement Koizumi's public promise to privatize the semi-governmental expressway corporations. Aso Taro, a former LDP policy chief, was appointed as minister of public management, home affairs, posts and telecommunications to manage the privatization of postal services. These appointments show how the Koizumi Cabinet is eager to push ahead with its "structural reform" in disregard of public anxiety and criticism.
Also, the reshuffled Koizumi Cabinet will surely work for a drastic increase in the consumption tax rate. Notwithstanding his statements that there will be no tax increase at least while he is in office, he openly began to argue that he would not hamper tax increase discussions and that opposition to the consumption tax increase will thwart discussions on the pension system. Apparently, he is suggesting that the "structural reforms" need an increase in the consumption tax rate.
Without doubt, the second Koizumi Cabinet is focusing on steps to be taken for an increase in the consumption tax rate, a very dangerous move, as well as his design for constitutional reform.
Change LDP politics now
The reshuffle of the LDP leadership and cabinet will be followed by the extraordinary Diet session opening on September 26 and the dissolution of the House of Representatives for a general election. That is fine. We are resolved to us this opportunity to put an end to the autocratic policies and LDP politics.
The staunch opponent of Koizumi politics, the Japanese Communist Party is calling for the root cause of people's anxieties to be removed and Japan's subservience to the United States ended. It is consistent in defending the Constitution. The JCP will do everything possible to overcome LDP politics. (end)