Japan's justice minister under growing pressure to quit

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TOKYO, Nov. 19 Kyodo -
Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida came under growing pressure Friday to quit
over his recent remarks widely seen as disrespectful of Diet deliberations.
But Prime Minister Naoto Kan continued to stand firm in defense of Yanagida,
although the Liberal Democratic Party decided to submit a censure motion
against the minister to the upper house of parliament next Monday as he shows
no intention of resigning.
''He's deeply regretting (the remarks) and saying he will do his job with the
best intentions,'' Kan told reporters in the evening. ''So I'm hoping he'll do
his best.''
The LDP, the No. 1 opposition party, also decided to introduce a no-confidence
motion against him in the more powerful lower house at a meeting of its
executives in the morning and informed Kan's Democratic Party of Japan of the
two forthcoming motions.
The government and the DPJ agreed that Yanagida does not need to leave the
Cabinet to take responsibility for his comments.
Yanagida also said at a news conference, ''I will sincerely respond to
deliberations in the Diet, and at the same time I'd like to fully perform my
duties.''
But some DPJ lawmakers later in the day joined the growing calls for his
resignation.
''He needs to quit'' if the censure motion is passed, veteran DPJ lawmaker Kozo
Watanabe told reporters. ''There's also an option for him to quit before
that.''
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said at a news conference he cannot
predict what Yanagida will do after a censure motion against him is adopted,
although it is nonbinding.
Kan held talks in the evening with Azuma Koshiishi, chief of the DPJ caucus in
the upper house, to discuss how to deal with the situation.
The censure motion is expected to pass in the House of Councillors as other
opposition parties have said they will support the LDP's stance, which will
deal another blow to Kan's government, already reeling from a succession of
problems both domestically and on the diplomatic front.
If Yanagida stays in his post after the motion is approved, the opposition camp
may boycott deliberations on the extra budget for the current fiscal year, the
most important agenda item in the ongoing extraordinary Diet session, LDP
lawmakers said.
Yanagida made the remarks in question Sunday to supporters at his constituency
in Hiroshima.
''Being the justice minister is easy, as I only have to remember two phrases,
either of which I can use in parliament whenever I'm stuck for an answer,'' he
said.
The two phrases, he said, are, ''I refrain from making comments on a specific
issue,'' and, ''We're dealing with the matter based on laws and evidence.''
The remarks triggered an outcry from opposition lawmakers, who said the
minister is against the principle of democracy.
The extra budget for the year through March 31 to finance additional economic
stimulus was approved Tuesday in the House of Representatives and its bill has
been sent to the upper house, which is now dominated by the opposition camp.
It is likely the budget will not be approved in the upper house as New Komeito,
the second-biggest opposition party, has recently decided to change its earlier
policy and oppose the bill.
''We should not vote on the budget bill when there is a Cabinet member who has
no abilities and insight,'' the LDP's Diet affairs chief Ichiro Aisawa told
reporters.
The LDP called for the resignation of Yanagida in a meeting of upper house
budget panel executives, and said it would boycott a concluding
question-and-answer session prior to a vote on the budget unless the DPJ
accepts its demand.
Despite the opposition bloc's objections, the extra budget is likely to clear
the Diet as the ruling bloc controls the lower house, which can override a
decision by the upper house under the Constitution.
The DPJ reconfirmed in the morning that it would aim to have the budget bill
enacted into law next Wednesday.
A no-confidence motion against Yanagida, which is legally binding, is also
expected to be rejected, as the DPJ has a majority in the lower chamber.
Still, the widening rift between the opposition camp and the government is
likely to pose a host of difficulties for Kan, faced with falling support
ratings, who needs to accelerate his efforts to craft the more challenging
fiscal 2011 budget by the end of December.
==Kyodo
2010-11-19 22:02:29