Lower house passes bill to extend Japan's refueling mission

TOKYO, Oct. 21 Kyodo - A bill to continue Japan's refueling mission in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and near Afghanistan through to next year passed
the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with the main opposition Democratic
Party of Japan shying away from using tactics to delay a vote to resist the
bill.
The opposition-controlled House of Councillors is likely to swiftly vote down
the bill, leading the lower house, controlled by the ruling parties, to hold an
overriding second vote for final Diet approval of the bill at the end of the
month.
Given that Prime Minister Taro Aso is moving ahead to clear a number of his
priorities since the launch of his administration in late September,
speculation is growing that he will decide when to dissolve the lower house to
call a general election, possibly by the end of the month.
Aso stressed that the refueling mission ''must be continued.'' But he remained
tight-lipped on when he plans to call the election, only telling reporters
later Tuesday, ''I am the one to decide when to dissolve (the lower house).''
The government-proposed bill is aimed at extending the temporary law
authorizing Japan's controversial refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for one
year beyond its expiration on Jan. 15, 2009.
In the mission, the Maritime Self-Defense Force is refueling foreign vessels
taking part in the U.S.-led crackdown on ships linked to terrorism.
The envisioned swift passage of the refueling bill is in contrast to the
previous extension when the government, led by Aso's predecessor Yasuo Fukuda,
had to spend months on the passage due to the DPJ's resistance. The political
wrangling even created a suspension in the mission.
While remaining opposed to the mission, the DPJ this time plans to be more
cooperative with the prime minister by agreeing to vote on the bill in the
upper house in the hope that helping Aso clear his priorities would lead him to
call a general election at an early date.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura welcomed the passage of the bill through
the lower house during a regular press conference, referring to the DPJ's
''understanding and tactics this time.''
The lower house passed the bill during a plenary session by a majority vote of
members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition ally the New
Komeito party. The vote was held after the lower house's special committee on
the issues of antiterrorism and reconstruction of Iraq spent only two days for
full deliberations.
The bill was submitted to parliament on Sept. 29, shortly after the current
extraordinary Diet session convened.
Also during the plenary session, the lower house voted down a DPJ-presented
bill on reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan, which featured dispatches of
Self-Defense Forces troops and civilians for such missions as disarmament of
militant groups and medical assistance.
The bill failed to win support not only from the ruling parties but also from
other minor opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Party.
The ruling coalition currently holds an overwhelming two-thirds majority in the
powerful lower house, making it possible for it to put a bill rejected by the
upper house to a revote which requires a two-thirds vote for passage.
But such a vote can only take place in the event the upper house rejects a bill
or does not hold a vote within 60 days of receiving it from the lower house.
The upper house is expected to vote down the government-submitted refueling
bill on Oct. 29, and the bill is likely to gain final Diet approval through a
revote in the lower house on Oct. 30.
==Kyodo