Japan's Democratic Party leader Maehara speaks at news conference in Tokyo
Seiji Maehara, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, smiles as he speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo February 17, 2006. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi denounced as groundless the latest opposition allegations of shady links between his rulling party and disgraced Internet enterpreneur Takafumi Horie, even as speculation simmered that the affair could widen into a broad political scandal. REUTERS/Toru Hanai