politics

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Shii stresses JCP's role as guardian of people's living conditions

The 164th ordinary session of the Diet runs from January 20 until June 18. Earlier in the day, the Japanese Communist Party Diet members Group held its general meeting in which JCP Chair Shii Kazuo stated that the JCP is to defend people's living conditions against the Koizumi "structural reform" policy that shifts heavier burdens onto the public.

Shii emphasized that the JCP in the Diet will make use of the new JCP Program and the recent JCP 24th Congress Resolution in confronting the Koizumi Cabinet's policy of easing regulations on business activities as a cure-all while increasing taxes on the working people and downsizing social services.

He said that the ongoing cases of falsified quake-resistance data in apartment buildings endangering residents' lives shows the failure of the deregulation policy and capitalism's lack of morals. He also pointed out that poverty and social disparities are widening, and the Koizumi policies should be condemned.

Referring to Japan's diplomacy, Shii stated that the JCP will criticize the government for the absurdity of justifying Japan's past war of aggression and doing U.S. bidding. Referring to the prime minister's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Shii said that the question would not be resolved if the prime minister expects that repeated visits can wear down the issue. Shii also said that the JCP in the Diet will work to get support from a majority of the people against the adverse constitutional revision.

Shii pointed out that under Prime Minister Koizumi, burdens on the people will increase by 13 trillion yen, and that the state debt has increased by 170 trillion yen to 650 trillion yen. Shii said that national debt increased even while the people are sharing more burdens, because enormous profits of large corporations and wasteful spending on large public works projects are kept intact.

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Cardboard boxes containing about 1.03 million signatures in opposition to a tax increase and constitutional revision were brought to the Diet on January 20.
- Akahata, January 21, 2006