ID :
162165
Fri, 02/18/2011 - 17:14
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/162165
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Kan trying to fend off pressure for his resignation+
TOKYO, Feb. 18 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday tried to fend off growing pressure for his resignation from within and outside his ruling party, saying Japan has no time to lose in keeping its economic recovery on track.
Kan said he is not in the least bit willing to quit as prime minister in exchange for securing the parliamentary passage of the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills.
Kan, Japan's fifth premier since 2006, told reporters in the evening he is not considering going back to the ''old way of doing politics.''
But despite Kan's renewed resolve, more DPJ lawmakers began speaking out that his resignation may be inevitable, a day after 16 lawmakers of his Democratic Party of Japan, who are affiliated with party veteran Ichiro Ozawa, launched a revolt.
A DPJ heavyweight, who has taken a neutral position between Kan and Ozawa, said the party will suffer a crushing defeat in the event of a general election so ''the prime minister needs to quit.''
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DPJ executive close to Kan said, ''With the current team, it is difficult to overcome'' the situation in March when a battle over bills necessary for the budget for the year starting April will intensify.
Kan's government looks increasingly likely to fail in its bid to pass the bills, following the lawmakers' move to leave the DPJ's lower house caucus.
Jumping on the bandwagon, the Liberal Democratic Party and several other opposition parties have stepped up their calls for Kan to resign or dissolve the lower house for a general election.
The LDP is also exploring the possibility of submitting a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet in the lower house as part of its efforts to force a general election, according to Ichiro Aisawa, the Diet affairs chief of the main opposition party.
''I will act by thinking what is most important and needed for the public,'' Kan said, when asked about the possibility of calling a general election. ''For the people now, I believe the most important thing is passing the budget as the economy is recovering.''
The DPJ leadership is afraid it could face a potential chorus of demands for Kan's resignation when it holds a meeting of party executives from local chapters on March 5.
Top government spokesman Yukio Edano sought to quell the mounting crisis over the fate of Kan triggered by the revolt.
''Prime Minister Kan is working because he has about a two-and-a-half year term based on the Constitution, and he has about a year-and-a-half term as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan,'' the chief Cabinet secretary said at a news conference.
''In his term, his mission is to achieve maximum results,'' Edano said.
The fiscal 2011 budget can clear the Diet without the approval of the opposition-controlled House of Councillors.
But bills related to the budget, such as one to enable the government to issue deficit-covering bonds, must be passed by the upper house or secure a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in a revote.
The DPJ-led government lacks a two-thirds majority in the lower house, and the possibility of concerted dissent from the party line by the 16 lawmakers would make it more difficult for the government to pass the bills before the start of the next fiscal year.
Other members of Kan's Cabinet on Friday also tried to shore up the government, contending that all parliamentarians should first think about people's lives instead of party or personal political interests.
''For the public, we must place top priority on the passage of the budget,'' said Renho, administrative reform minister, at a news conference in reference to the latest stir caused by the 16 DPJ rebels. ''I don't understand their action at all. I wonder for whom they want to work.''
DPJ Diet affairs chief Jun Azumi said he will do his best to persuade the 16 to vote in favor of the budget-related bills. He also said the DPJ will not accept their plan to leave the DPJ's lower house caucus and form a new one.
The DPJ leadership wants to prevent dozens of other members, who have close ties with Ozawa and are critical of the way Kan has been running the government since he took office in June, from joining the intraparty revolt.
But so far the outlook appears gloomy. People familiar with the 16 lawmakers, who do not have many years of experience in national politics, said they have already rented office space for their group near the Diet building.
One of them, who declined to be named, said, ''We hope to find more partners and make the next move as soon as possible.''
Denny Tamaki, a pro-Ozawa DPJ lower house lawmaker, told reporters that it would be ''very possible'' to work with the 16.
The rift in the DPJ has widened after the leadership proposed this week that Ozawa's party membership be suspended due to a political funds scandal, for which he has been indicted. Ozawa has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said he will prove his innocence in court.
It is unclear whether Ozawa masterminded the revolt.
Ozawa, a former member of the LDP, is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Japan. He is often seen as both a creator and a destroyer because of his track record in contributing to a major realignment of opposition parties and to the rise of the DPJ in 2009.
Ozawa was the architect of the DPJ's landslide victory in the general election in August 2009, which ended the LDP's near continuous grip on power for over half a century.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday tried to fend off growing pressure for his resignation from within and outside his ruling party, saying Japan has no time to lose in keeping its economic recovery on track.
Kan said he is not in the least bit willing to quit as prime minister in exchange for securing the parliamentary passage of the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills.
Kan, Japan's fifth premier since 2006, told reporters in the evening he is not considering going back to the ''old way of doing politics.''
But despite Kan's renewed resolve, more DPJ lawmakers began speaking out that his resignation may be inevitable, a day after 16 lawmakers of his Democratic Party of Japan, who are affiliated with party veteran Ichiro Ozawa, launched a revolt.
A DPJ heavyweight, who has taken a neutral position between Kan and Ozawa, said the party will suffer a crushing defeat in the event of a general election so ''the prime minister needs to quit.''
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DPJ executive close to Kan said, ''With the current team, it is difficult to overcome'' the situation in March when a battle over bills necessary for the budget for the year starting April will intensify.
Kan's government looks increasingly likely to fail in its bid to pass the bills, following the lawmakers' move to leave the DPJ's lower house caucus.
Jumping on the bandwagon, the Liberal Democratic Party and several other opposition parties have stepped up their calls for Kan to resign or dissolve the lower house for a general election.
The LDP is also exploring the possibility of submitting a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet in the lower house as part of its efforts to force a general election, according to Ichiro Aisawa, the Diet affairs chief of the main opposition party.
''I will act by thinking what is most important and needed for the public,'' Kan said, when asked about the possibility of calling a general election. ''For the people now, I believe the most important thing is passing the budget as the economy is recovering.''
The DPJ leadership is afraid it could face a potential chorus of demands for Kan's resignation when it holds a meeting of party executives from local chapters on March 5.
Top government spokesman Yukio Edano sought to quell the mounting crisis over the fate of Kan triggered by the revolt.
''Prime Minister Kan is working because he has about a two-and-a-half year term based on the Constitution, and he has about a year-and-a-half term as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan,'' the chief Cabinet secretary said at a news conference.
''In his term, his mission is to achieve maximum results,'' Edano said.
The fiscal 2011 budget can clear the Diet without the approval of the opposition-controlled House of Councillors.
But bills related to the budget, such as one to enable the government to issue deficit-covering bonds, must be passed by the upper house or secure a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in a revote.
The DPJ-led government lacks a two-thirds majority in the lower house, and the possibility of concerted dissent from the party line by the 16 lawmakers would make it more difficult for the government to pass the bills before the start of the next fiscal year.
Other members of Kan's Cabinet on Friday also tried to shore up the government, contending that all parliamentarians should first think about people's lives instead of party or personal political interests.
''For the public, we must place top priority on the passage of the budget,'' said Renho, administrative reform minister, at a news conference in reference to the latest stir caused by the 16 DPJ rebels. ''I don't understand their action at all. I wonder for whom they want to work.''
DPJ Diet affairs chief Jun Azumi said he will do his best to persuade the 16 to vote in favor of the budget-related bills. He also said the DPJ will not accept their plan to leave the DPJ's lower house caucus and form a new one.
The DPJ leadership wants to prevent dozens of other members, who have close ties with Ozawa and are critical of the way Kan has been running the government since he took office in June, from joining the intraparty revolt.
But so far the outlook appears gloomy. People familiar with the 16 lawmakers, who do not have many years of experience in national politics, said they have already rented office space for their group near the Diet building.
One of them, who declined to be named, said, ''We hope to find more partners and make the next move as soon as possible.''
Denny Tamaki, a pro-Ozawa DPJ lower house lawmaker, told reporters that it would be ''very possible'' to work with the 16.
The rift in the DPJ has widened after the leadership proposed this week that Ozawa's party membership be suspended due to a political funds scandal, for which he has been indicted. Ozawa has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said he will prove his innocence in court.
It is unclear whether Ozawa masterminded the revolt.
Ozawa, a former member of the LDP, is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Japan. He is often seen as both a creator and a destroyer because of his track record in contributing to a major realignment of opposition parties and to the rise of the DPJ in 2009.
Ozawa was the architect of the DPJ's landslide victory in the general election in August 2009, which ended the LDP's near continuous grip on power for over half a century.
