DPJ retains goal of winning 54 or more seats in poll amid tough race+

TOKYO, July 9 Kyodo -
The Democratic Party of Japan's goal of winning 54 seats or more in Sunday's
election for the upper house of parliament remains intact, although media
surveys have suggested that the ruling party is finding it difficult to attract
strong support from voters, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said
Friday.
''Securing 54 seats is the victory-or-defeat bar and the goal set by the prime
minister. So my stance has not changed,'' Sengoku said at a news conference.
The figure is equal to the number of DPJ seats up for grabs in the House of
Councillors election. The outcome is being widely seen as a litmus test of
whether Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government, formed last month, can build a
solid political base for the first time in many years in Japan.
Many media surveys released this week found that the ruling coalition led by
the DPJ is in danger of not securing the 56 seats required to maintain a
razor-thin majority in the upper house to avoid policy gridlock.
Kan attributed the DPJ's uphill battle in the election to his remarks about a
possible hike in the consumption tax.
''My reference to the tax might have generated worries (among voters) that the
government would soon increase'' the current rate of 5 percent, Kan told
reporters in Tendo, northeastern Japan.
Kan said his explanation to the public may not have been clear enough. The
premier said that what he has stressed is the need to begin cross-party
discussions on tax reform as part of efforts to prevent Japan from suffering a
serious debt crisis.
''If there was any misunderstanding, I will do my best to dispel it,'' Kan said.
Sengoku, the government's top spokesman, said the DPJ will do its best until
the last minute to win the public's trust to create an environment in which
Japan's prolonged stagnation and other great social challenges can be
addressed.
''We have today and tomorrow, two more days...The time from now on will be
important in deciding the outcome of the race. So I should not say this or that
on speculative news stories,'' Sengoku said when asked about the likelihood of
Kan and Sengoku taking the blame if the DPJ falls short of its target.
Yukio Edano, DPJ Secretary General, ruled out the possibility of Kan stepping
down if the ruling party fares poorly in the election.
''Japan's Constitution says that the House of Representatives picks the prime
minister,'' Edano told reporters in the western city of Kochi. ''More than 300
lawmakers in the chamber have named him as premier. The nuts and bolts won't
change.''
When campaigning kicked off on June 24, Kan said he would not leave office even
if the DPJ failed to win more than 54 seats in the election, in which 121 seats
will be contested.
The DPJ swept to power last summer after winning a landslide victory in the
election for the more powerful lower house.
Consequently, regardless of the election outcome, the DPJ will most likely
remain in power for some time. But a majority in the upper house would help the
ruling camp to pass bills smoothly in the Diet.
Also, if the DPJ does poorly in the election, it is almost certain that Kan's
grip on the government will loosen and rifts within the ruling party will
deepen ahead of its leadership election in September.
==Kyodo
2010-07-10 00:36:22


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