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164785
Mon, 02/28/2011 - 17:38
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https://www.oananews.org//node/164785
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Kan fights running battle over fiscal 2011 budget
TOKYO, Feb. 28 Kyodo -
(EDS: UPDATING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS)
Prime Minister Naoto Kan continued Monday his running battle with opposition parties and some members of his own Democratic Party of Japan over parliamentary passage of the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills by the end of March.
The DPJ decided to go ahead with a vote on the budget plan in the evening in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, although the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties were strongly opposed to the schedule.
As a result, the LDP, the New Komeito party, Your Party and the Sunrise Party of Japan, jointly submitted a resolution demanding that Hiroshi Nakai, a DPJ member who chairs the budget panel, be removed from his position.
But the resolution was turned down by a majority of members in the 480-seat lower house, controlled by the DPJ-led coalition.
In addition to difficulties in cooperating with opposition parties, 16 DPJ lawmakers who launched a revolt against Kan's leadership this month are considering abstaining from the forthcoming vote on the budget plan for the year starting in April, according to party lawmakers.
Despite the objections, it is almost certain that the budget will clear the lower house by Tuesday, paving the way for its enactment in time for the start of the next fiscal year.
The Constitution says an annual budget will be enacted within 30 days of being sent to the House of Councillors, after the lower house's approval, even if the upper house rejects it or does not hold a vote on it.
But approval by March 31 is nowhere in sight for bills vital to implement parts of the 92.41 trillion yen budget, such as one that enables the government to issue deficit-covering bonds worth 38.21 trillion yen to fund the planned spending.
The related bills must be approved by the opposition-controlled upper house or backed by a two-thirds majority when voted on again in the 480-seat lower house, which the coalition lacks.
The 16 DPJ lawmakers' abstentions will not block parliamentary passage of the budget. But they will have a tremendous impact on the DPJ's governance and, if the lawmakers do the same for the related bills, their approval will become even more hopeless.
The 16 are associated with former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, a longtime power broker in Japanese politics who has been critical of the way Kan has been running the government since he took office in June.
The DPJ leadership decided to leave it up to Secretary General Katsuya Okada to decide whether to punish the lawmakers should they act against the party line in the Diet.
Okada said at a news conference that the DPJ must take strict measures if they do not behave in line with the party's stance.
(EDS: UPDATING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS)
Prime Minister Naoto Kan continued Monday his running battle with opposition parties and some members of his own Democratic Party of Japan over parliamentary passage of the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills by the end of March.
The DPJ decided to go ahead with a vote on the budget plan in the evening in the House of Representatives Budget Committee, although the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties were strongly opposed to the schedule.
As a result, the LDP, the New Komeito party, Your Party and the Sunrise Party of Japan, jointly submitted a resolution demanding that Hiroshi Nakai, a DPJ member who chairs the budget panel, be removed from his position.
But the resolution was turned down by a majority of members in the 480-seat lower house, controlled by the DPJ-led coalition.
In addition to difficulties in cooperating with opposition parties, 16 DPJ lawmakers who launched a revolt against Kan's leadership this month are considering abstaining from the forthcoming vote on the budget plan for the year starting in April, according to party lawmakers.
Despite the objections, it is almost certain that the budget will clear the lower house by Tuesday, paving the way for its enactment in time for the start of the next fiscal year.
The Constitution says an annual budget will be enacted within 30 days of being sent to the House of Councillors, after the lower house's approval, even if the upper house rejects it or does not hold a vote on it.
But approval by March 31 is nowhere in sight for bills vital to implement parts of the 92.41 trillion yen budget, such as one that enables the government to issue deficit-covering bonds worth 38.21 trillion yen to fund the planned spending.
The related bills must be approved by the opposition-controlled upper house or backed by a two-thirds majority when voted on again in the 480-seat lower house, which the coalition lacks.
The 16 DPJ lawmakers' abstentions will not block parliamentary passage of the budget. But they will have a tremendous impact on the DPJ's governance and, if the lawmakers do the same for the related bills, their approval will become even more hopeless.
The 16 are associated with former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, a longtime power broker in Japanese politics who has been critical of the way Kan has been running the government since he took office in June.
The DPJ leadership decided to leave it up to Secretary General Katsuya Okada to decide whether to punish the lawmakers should they act against the party line in the Diet.
Okada said at a news conference that the DPJ must take strict measures if they do not behave in line with the party's stance.
