Opposition parties pressure DPJ to make more concessions
TOKYO —
The policy chiefs of the governing Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito Party met on Monday to discuss conditions for the passage of a bill to issue deficit-covering bonds.
Prime Minister Naoko Kan has said that passage of the bill is one of the preconditions for his resignation. Speaking in the Diet Monday, Kan said he wants to step done when he can hand over power to “the younger generation.”
DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada told a news conference that he hopes to have the bill put to a vote in the lower house before the end of the week.
However, the LDP is pressuring the DPJ to drop its entire manifesto that helped bring it to power in 2009, before it votes on the bill. The LDP says the manifesto has to be dropped in order to reduce government spending.
Meanwhile, an NHK telephone survey of 1,052 people over the weekend showed an 18% approval rate for Kan and his cabinet. As for when Kan should step down, 45% said by the end of this month when the Diet goes into recess. However, when asked who should succeed Kan, 38% said they couldn’t think of anyone suitable to become prime minister. Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara got 5.6%. He was followed by LDP policy chief Shigeru Ishiba and former DPJ kingmaker Ichiro Ozawa who has been indicted in a political funds scandal.
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10 Comments
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0
Cricky
38% could not think of anyone to replace Kan...not happy but no idea as to what would make them happy. Sadly I can not think of anyone either. Ah Japan!
2
Michael Craig
Drop its entire manifesto!? Isn't that extortion?
1
smithinjapan
"However, when asked who should succeed Kan, 38% said they couldn’t think of anyone suitable to become prime minister."
Why am I not surprised?
3
Scrote
The LDP demand changes to the DPJ manifesto.
If the DPJ changes anything the LDP demands an election on the grounds the DPJ were elected on their manifesto promises.
If the DPJ doesn't change anything the LDP won't cooperate and will start the vote of confidence / boycott parliament and other time-wasting posturing once again.
The DPJ should tell the LDP to get stuffed.
The public cannot think of a suitable prime minister, yet if an election were held tomorrow most of them would probably vote for the same clowns we have now. It's time the Japanese people started electing people who are fit for the job, instead of the useless son of a bribe-taking crook.
2
ubikwit
The LDP represent the criminally wealthy class (a phrase coined by Theodore Roosevelt) in Japan, which was set up by the criminally wealthy class of the USA after WWII to fight the godless communists...
Notice how the LDP is adopting the so-called Tea-party platform.
Both countries are broke because the treasuries have been pilfered by politicians and dubious economists doing the bidding of the criminally wealthy class. Now that they have taken everything, they don't want it to be taken back by the people through taxing their ill-gotten gain.
-2
globalwatcher
I just want to remind everyone on JT that this is a critical issue for all Japanese to do the right thing to solve current sovereign debt crisis before moving forward.
The sovereign debt of Japan has been the highest in the world; almost 225% (debt/gdp) and it is just about ready to go off the cliff by a blink of eyes to join Greece, Spain and Italy. I am not kidding!!
You need to do 3 things listed below;
1)Raise budget ceiling to avoid the default. 2)Increase tax revenue by modifying tax code 3)Eliminate unnessary govt spending
As far as picking the best candidate, I cannot think of anyone. I am sorry to say.
-2
globalwatcher
I would like to add one more here if I may.
1)Former Finance Minister of Japan Fujii is not running for PM race as he is for a strong yen.
2)Ozawa is not running as he is a criminal in my eyes. Also, I am strongly disscent from his ideology of ONE ASIA. We should learn all mistakes from current Eurozone debt crisis.
-2
globalwatcher
Why am I so adamant for this issue?
Many Japanese are not well informed about a danger of sovereign debt. I suppose Japanese media does not want to stir up public as most of Japanese sovereign debt are financed by their own people.
Most Japanese I met when I was in Japan told me that their savings are safe and secured by J. Gov up to Y10,000,000. The truth of matter is that if the Gov goes to default, then the money in the bank becomes a worthless paper as gov. has no money to pay back for the loss.
May God give all Japanese politicians a wisdom and courage to do the right thing.
0
plasticmonkey
The LDP also demanded that the DPJ repossess all child care allowances and other pork projects, raise taxes on everyone but the yakuza and construction bosses, pave the sides of Mt Fuji to create jobs, undo the March 11 earthquake, guarantee that the next DPJ prime minister resign upon taking office, and erase all mention of itself in history textbooks. Anything else would be unacceptable and counter to the Japanese spirit.
-1
globalwatcher
@plasticmonkey,
plasticmoney(credit card?), with all global economic meltdowns, Japanese need to think hard to save their country. The childcare has to be dropped entirely, and all unnessesary constructions (who needs more airports?) have to be dropped. The same money has to go to Tohoku and Fukushima Daiichi to restore Japan. That's the #1 priority right now before going forward.. Thank you for sharing.
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