 Small business owners hold rally in opposition to Koizumi's tax increase policy Chanting, "Stop consumption tax increase and foil revision of the Constitution," about 1,500 small- and medium-sized traders and producers held a rally in Tokyo on February 4. A man from Hyogo Prefecture, who has been struggling to recover from the damages caused by the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake of ten years ago, waved a 20-meter flag reading, "We must survive by any means! Unite! Niigata victims must never give up!" The National Liaison Council of Small and Medium Enterprisers Circles organized this rally. The participants later marched in demonstration to the Diet building. A resolution adopted by the rally declared; "Our hope is to just change the present political system in which a handful of people can amass enormous wealth at the cost of so many small- and medium-sized businesses. The government, ruling parties, and the opposition Democratic Party are to blame for attempting to drastically increase the consumption tax rate and adversely revise the Constitution." A woman from Osaka said, "We can no longer survive if Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro stays at his post while producing haphazard policies with a heap of bluffs." On behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, House of Councilors member Daimon Mikishi reported on the latest Diet situation and encouraged the participants. (end) |