VOX POPULI: DPJ shows cold disregard for judicial process

Although Wednesday was daikan, the coldest day of the year in the traditional calendar, Tokyo was so warm that it felt like spring. It may sound silly, but it made me feel uneasy having unseasonably warm weather at the time of year that is supposed to be coldest. I feel the same kind of uneasiness with the "anti-prosecution" fever seething within the Democratic Party of Japan.

I heard the DPJ is forming a team to discover how investigative information used in the prosecution was leaked, apparently out of a sense of mistrust for the prosecutors, whom the DPJ suspects of manipulating public opinion through the media.

Some DPJ members are also calling the arrest of Lower House member Tomohiro Ishikawa "unjust." It is fine to exert oneself to clarify the truth, but it appears they are off the mark. What they are doing constitutes harassment of investigators.

If the party in power acts on partisan interests to intervene in judicial affairs, justice cannot be maintained. When DPJ Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa's aide was arrested in the scandal over political donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co., the DPJ, which was out of power at the time, criticized the move as being politically motivated with the backing of the government. Since the current situation is against the ruling party's will, it should boast "the prosecution's independence." At least, the DPJ should quietly watch the progress of the investigation.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, an investigative organization known for its toughness, belongs to the Justice Ministry. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who heads the executive branch of government, should have more faith in his "subordinates."

Needless to say, any authority is dangerous when it gets out of control. If prosecutors are indeed moving out of spite for Ozawa, that is also a very scary proposition. They should set aside grudges and show their integrity as professionals.

This year, too, with the exception of the Japanese Communist Party, all political parties applied for government subsidies. It is said the DPJ will be receiving about 17.3 billion yen ($190 million) in taxpayers' money, up 27 percent from last year. I won't go so far as to say the party is abusing the 308 seats it won in the Lower House, but I do feel it is wasting them.

The ongoing ordinary Diet session was supposed to be the spring of new politics. But the way it opened, amid turmoil stemming from money scandals, is a big letdown to people who voted for a change of government. I was looking forward to hearing a heated debate, but, despite the warm weather, I feel chilly.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 21

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.