ID :
197343
Tue, 07/26/2011 - 14:34
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https://oananews.org//node/197343
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Lower, upper house elections must be held at same time in 2013: Kan+
TOKYO, July 26 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday ruled out dissolving the lower house of parliament anytime soon, saying it would be better to hold elections for both chambers simultaneously in the summer of 2013.
Kan, under intense pressure to quit soon, told a parliamentary session that he ''finds no problems with a double election'' of the House of Representatives and House of Councillors, but that Japan needs to focus on the rebuilding of areas ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami for the time being.
The embattled prime minister said calling a general election at this time would be completely out of touch with the feelings of the public, given also that the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, triggered by the March disaster, has yet to be brought under control.
Kan's remarks come amid lingering speculation that he may yet dissolve the lower house for a general election, making his recent proposal of trying to turn Japan into a country that does not rely on nuclear energy into a major campaign issue.
By ruling out dissolving the lower house, Kan is apparently trying to secure cooperation from opposition parties over the parliamentary passage of key bills, most notably one to allow the government to issue deficit-covering bonds for the annual budget for fiscal 2011, lawmakers said.
But opposition lawmakers reacted sharply to Kan's latest remarks.
Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said at a news conference that ''there is little point'' for Kan, who is expected to resign soon, to speak about when to hold the next general election.
Last month, Kan expressed his readiness to step down once he makes certain progress in rebuilding the disaster-stricken areas and containing the nuclear crisis.
Even members of Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan say he must quit this summer. But Kan said Tuesday that he believes the public is ''pleased'' with the ''steady progress'' being made under his leadership in reconstructing the disaster-hit areas and dealing with the emergency situation at the plant.
The premier also expressed confidence that many people are supportive of his policy of making Japan less reliant on nuclear energy in the years ahead.
Jun Azumi, the DPJ's Diet affairs chief, said he shares Kan's view that the next general election should not be held until the summer of 2013, when half of the lower house members' terms of office expire.
Azumi, nevertheless, told a news conference that the timing of the next lower house election must be decided by ''a new structure'' after Kan's resignation.
==Kyodo
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday ruled out dissolving the lower house of parliament anytime soon, saying it would be better to hold elections for both chambers simultaneously in the summer of 2013.
Kan, under intense pressure to quit soon, told a parliamentary session that he ''finds no problems with a double election'' of the House of Representatives and House of Councillors, but that Japan needs to focus on the rebuilding of areas ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami for the time being.
The embattled prime minister said calling a general election at this time would be completely out of touch with the feelings of the public, given also that the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, triggered by the March disaster, has yet to be brought under control.
Kan's remarks come amid lingering speculation that he may yet dissolve the lower house for a general election, making his recent proposal of trying to turn Japan into a country that does not rely on nuclear energy into a major campaign issue.
By ruling out dissolving the lower house, Kan is apparently trying to secure cooperation from opposition parties over the parliamentary passage of key bills, most notably one to allow the government to issue deficit-covering bonds for the annual budget for fiscal 2011, lawmakers said.
But opposition lawmakers reacted sharply to Kan's latest remarks.
Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said at a news conference that ''there is little point'' for Kan, who is expected to resign soon, to speak about when to hold the next general election.
Last month, Kan expressed his readiness to step down once he makes certain progress in rebuilding the disaster-stricken areas and containing the nuclear crisis.
Even members of Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan say he must quit this summer. But Kan said Tuesday that he believes the public is ''pleased'' with the ''steady progress'' being made under his leadership in reconstructing the disaster-hit areas and dealing with the emergency situation at the plant.
The premier also expressed confidence that many people are supportive of his policy of making Japan less reliant on nuclear energy in the years ahead.
Jun Azumi, the DPJ's Diet affairs chief, said he shares Kan's view that the next general election should not be held until the summer of 2013, when half of the lower house members' terms of office expire.
Azumi, nevertheless, told a news conference that the timing of the next lower house election must be decided by ''a new structure'' after Kan's resignation.
==Kyodo
