ID :
158185
Wed, 01/26/2011 - 18:50
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https://www.oananews.org//node/158185
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Kan rejects idea of lower house dissolution for election
TOKYO, Jan. 26 Kyodo -Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday rejected the idea of dissolving the House of Representatives for an election while his main opposition rival rejected calls for talks on social security and tax reforms in a bid to pressure Kan against the backdrop of a divided parliament ''To enact the fiscal 2011 budget as soon as possible is my Cabinet's top priority, taking into account the current economic situation and people's lives,'' Kan said during a lower house plenary session, where he responded to questions from lawmakers including Sadakazu Tanigaki, head of main opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
''I will put my full efforts into fulfilling this responsibility,'' Kan said, adding, ''At the moment, I have absolutely no plans to dissolve the lower house.''Tanigaki, who was the first in line to grill the premier about a policy speech delivered Monday at the start of the regular parliamentary session, took a swipe at Kan for his handling of the nation since he became its leader in June last year.
''Our party will clearly show the public the flip-flops of Prime Minister Kan and his Democratic Party of Japan and the loss of legitimacy of Kan's administration,'' Tanigaki said, adding cross-party talks will be possible only on the premise that a general election is in sight.
Wednesday was the start of question and answer sessions for the House of Representatives, which is dominated by the DPJ. The opposition-controlled House of Councillors will also begin interpellations Thursday.
For the regular Diet session, Kan wants to secure the passage of the fiscal 2011 budget as well as related bills, and also discuss social security and tax system reforms, a very sensitive topic now given the difficult economic times, as this involves the question of what to do with the consumption tax rate currently at 5 percent.
Rejecting Kan's repeated calls for talks, Tanigaki told the plenary session that he ''cannot lend a hand in securing revenues'' for pork-barrel policies, such as child-rearing allowances, a pet project of the DPJ.
The premier said, however, that the measure is not lavish spending and embodies the idea that the whole of society should help people rear children.
Vowing to do his utmost in compiling a fundamental social security and tax reform plan in June, Kan said, ''I want to hear what the opposition parties have to say (about such reforms) so I very much want to see you all participate from the time we draft the reform plan. ''Tanigaki said that based on Kan's earlier remark that he will ''stake his political life'' on the social security and tax reform, the premier should dissolve the lower house if he fails to meet the June deadline.
Kan was also grilled by Tanigaki over his appointment of Kaoru Yosano, who once belonged to the LDP, as new economic and fiscal policy minister. Kan defended his appointment by describing Yosano as one with ''great knowledge of and ambitions for the social security system.''Tanigaki also criticized the DPJ's failure to erase the money-tainted image of politics and pressed the DPJ to put its foot down on a political fund scandal involving DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
Kan reiterated his earlier position that Ozawa, who was once his rival in the DPJ leadership race, needs to explain the scandal in the Diet.
Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing, will be indicted soon over his fund management body's alleged false reporting.
''I will put my full efforts into fulfilling this responsibility,'' Kan said, adding, ''At the moment, I have absolutely no plans to dissolve the lower house.''Tanigaki, who was the first in line to grill the premier about a policy speech delivered Monday at the start of the regular parliamentary session, took a swipe at Kan for his handling of the nation since he became its leader in June last year.
''Our party will clearly show the public the flip-flops of Prime Minister Kan and his Democratic Party of Japan and the loss of legitimacy of Kan's administration,'' Tanigaki said, adding cross-party talks will be possible only on the premise that a general election is in sight.
Wednesday was the start of question and answer sessions for the House of Representatives, which is dominated by the DPJ. The opposition-controlled House of Councillors will also begin interpellations Thursday.
For the regular Diet session, Kan wants to secure the passage of the fiscal 2011 budget as well as related bills, and also discuss social security and tax system reforms, a very sensitive topic now given the difficult economic times, as this involves the question of what to do with the consumption tax rate currently at 5 percent.
Rejecting Kan's repeated calls for talks, Tanigaki told the plenary session that he ''cannot lend a hand in securing revenues'' for pork-barrel policies, such as child-rearing allowances, a pet project of the DPJ.
The premier said, however, that the measure is not lavish spending and embodies the idea that the whole of society should help people rear children.
Vowing to do his utmost in compiling a fundamental social security and tax reform plan in June, Kan said, ''I want to hear what the opposition parties have to say (about such reforms) so I very much want to see you all participate from the time we draft the reform plan. ''Tanigaki said that based on Kan's earlier remark that he will ''stake his political life'' on the social security and tax reform, the premier should dissolve the lower house if he fails to meet the June deadline.
Kan was also grilled by Tanigaki over his appointment of Kaoru Yosano, who once belonged to the LDP, as new economic and fiscal policy minister. Kan defended his appointment by describing Yosano as one with ''great knowledge of and ambitions for the social security system.''Tanigaki also criticized the DPJ's failure to erase the money-tainted image of politics and pressed the DPJ to put its foot down on a political fund scandal involving DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
Kan reiterated his earlier position that Ozawa, who was once his rival in the DPJ leadership race, needs to explain the scandal in the Diet.
Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing, will be indicted soon over his fund management body's alleged false reporting.
