ニュース 2014/11/17 Kaieda criticizes PM: “I wonder what on earth his justification for dissolving the Diet is.” On November 17, DPJ President Banri Kaieda held his regular press conference at party headquarters. Referring to the preliminary GDP growth figures for the previous quarter released earlier the same day, Kaieda pointed out, “There was a large drop of 1.6% [in annual terms]. This followed on from the preceding quarter, which also showed a significant fall of 7.3% in annual terms. Abenomics has had no positive impact whatever on the Japanese economy. Prime Minister Abe has been saying that he will improve economic conditions throughout the nation, but it is clear that this has not happened.” Kaieda also made comments regarding the fact that real wages had fallen for fifteen consecutive months, stating, “Such a situation will not lead to the expansion of individual consumption. Trade and exports have not been growing either, and so the lack of business opportunities for small and medium-sized companies means that such firms in fact suffer adverse cost-push effects caused by the weaker yen, and many have been bankrupted as a result. Despite the existence of such problems, Prime Minister Abe is planning to hold a press conference tomorrow to announce the dissolution of the lower house for snap elections. I wonder what on earth his justification for dissolving the Diet is.”