ID :
167687
Sat, 03/12/2011 - 18:06
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https://www.oananews.org//node/167687
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Kan inspects quake-hit areas, pledges to protect people's lives
TOKYO (Kyodo) - Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Saturday inspected areas in northeastern Japan hit by a devastating earthquake and said the government will make a full commitment to the ''mission'' of protecting people's lives.
Kan's government was also forced to deal with a crisis at a nuclear power plant in one of the prefectures severely damaged by the 8.8-magnitude quake or the resulting tsunami, in which over 1,700 people are feared to have died or be unaccounted for.
Kan also met with opposition party leaders and called for their support in drawing up an extra budget to finance the government's relief efforts.
''It is our mission to protect people's lives and fortunes and I want you to make all-out efforts,'' Kan said at a meeting of his Cabinet members in Tokyo after viewing the disaster areas from the air during a four-hour trip.
It was tsunami, rather than the quake itself, that caused the devastating effects, Kan said. ''Today is a very important day in terms of how much we could proceed with rescue work.''
Kan added the government will raise the number of Self-Defense Force members assigned to relief work to 50,000 from 20,000, while calling for ''maximum'' efforts by police, firefighters and coast guard members.
In the morning, Kan visited the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant by helicopter to view the extent of the damage at the facility, where a radiation leak has been reported.
''A small amount of radiation has leaked. We will brace ourselves to protect people's health,'' he said.
But the situation turned out to be more complicated later in the day as the operator of the plant reported an explosion at the site.
While saying the government has yet to confirm details of the explosion, Edano told an urgent press conference the government wants the public to stay calm and save electricity amid fears of power supply disruptions.
The government has also taken a number of steps to address the inconveniences the quake has been causing to the public.
Edano said 50 countries and regions have offered support, including South Korea whose rescue team arrived in Japan in the afternoon.
On the political front, Kan asked opposition party leaders to cooperate in considering relief measures, including formulating an extra budget.
The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito party demanded a recess of the ongoing Diet session for the government to draw up a supplementary budget for fiscal 2010, which ends this month. But the ruling bloc showed reluctance to accept the request, saying it would delay deliberations on the draft initial budget for fiscal 2011.
Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda separately said the government would better use some 200 billion yen in a contingency fund for the current business year before discussing any extra budget, which would have to go through a lengthy process before implementation. Some lawmakers say, however, the amount of the reserve fund is not sufficient for relief measures.
In a separate move, the government is preparing to postpone some regional elections in the region hit hard by the quake by several months from the original schedule in April, some of its officials said.
Kan's government was also forced to deal with a crisis at a nuclear power plant in one of the prefectures severely damaged by the 8.8-magnitude quake or the resulting tsunami, in which over 1,700 people are feared to have died or be unaccounted for.
Kan also met with opposition party leaders and called for their support in drawing up an extra budget to finance the government's relief efforts.
''It is our mission to protect people's lives and fortunes and I want you to make all-out efforts,'' Kan said at a meeting of his Cabinet members in Tokyo after viewing the disaster areas from the air during a four-hour trip.
It was tsunami, rather than the quake itself, that caused the devastating effects, Kan said. ''Today is a very important day in terms of how much we could proceed with rescue work.''
Kan added the government will raise the number of Self-Defense Force members assigned to relief work to 50,000 from 20,000, while calling for ''maximum'' efforts by police, firefighters and coast guard members.
In the morning, Kan visited the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant by helicopter to view the extent of the damage at the facility, where a radiation leak has been reported.
''A small amount of radiation has leaked. We will brace ourselves to protect people's health,'' he said.
But the situation turned out to be more complicated later in the day as the operator of the plant reported an explosion at the site.
While saying the government has yet to confirm details of the explosion, Edano told an urgent press conference the government wants the public to stay calm and save electricity amid fears of power supply disruptions.
The government has also taken a number of steps to address the inconveniences the quake has been causing to the public.
Edano said 50 countries and regions have offered support, including South Korea whose rescue team arrived in Japan in the afternoon.
On the political front, Kan asked opposition party leaders to cooperate in considering relief measures, including formulating an extra budget.
The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito party demanded a recess of the ongoing Diet session for the government to draw up a supplementary budget for fiscal 2010, which ends this month. But the ruling bloc showed reluctance to accept the request, saying it would delay deliberations on the draft initial budget for fiscal 2011.
Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda separately said the government would better use some 200 billion yen in a contingency fund for the current business year before discussing any extra budget, which would have to go through a lengthy process before implementation. Some lawmakers say, however, the amount of the reserve fund is not sufficient for relief measures.
In a separate move, the government is preparing to postpone some regional elections in the region hit hard by the quake by several months from the original schedule in April, some of its officials said.
