In a policy speech at the opening of this year's regular Diet session on Wednesday, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori took great pains to win over a skeptical public. It was his first formal address to the Parliament since he took office last April. It was also the third longest such speech ever, perhaps reflecting Mr. Mori's desire to deliver a defining message to the nation at the dawn of the 21st century.
The speech fell far short of expectations, however. Instead of looking squarely at reality, it tried to gloss over problems. Its exceptional length notwithstanding, it left key questions unanswered. The public remains as alienated as ever from the Mori administration. There is a deep sense of frustration over the government's seeming inability to address pressing priorities.
First, the speech showed a lack of determination to root out political corruption. To be sure, the prime minister referred to the KSD bribery scandal, which involves illicit ties between politicians and a small-business organization, and to the embezzlement of a large sum of money from a secret diplomatic fund by a Foreign Ministry official. But his statements were halfhearted; they conveyed no sense of crisis, no resolve to get to the truth. He called the scandals "extremely regrettable" but went no further; it was as if he considered the incidents merely personal transgressions.