ID :
43216
Fri, 01/30/2009 - 05:44
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/43216
The shortlink copeid
ASO SAYS HE WILL CALL ELECTION AT 'APPROPRIATE TIME'+
Tokyo, Jan. 29 (ANTARA/Kyodo-OANA) - Prime Minister Taro Aso indicated Thursday that he intends to call an election ''at an appropriate time'' as his efforts to safeguard the nation's economy
from the global economic crisis have started to take shape.
''I have put all my efforts into compiling economic measures and budgets to
finance steps to protect employment and the livelihood of the people from an
unprecedented global financial crisis,'' Aso told a House of Representatives
plenary session.
''Therefore, I will seek a public mandate at an appropriate time after
clarifying what the issues will be,'' the 68-year-old Japanese leader said.
Aso was responding to questions from Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the
main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, who urged the prime minister to
dissolve the lower house for an election as quickly as possible.
In his first press conference this year on Jan. 4, Aso said his priority was to
revive the recession-hit economy and that he would not consider calling an
election until the Diet passes the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills.
Mentioning that Aso had said in his policy speech to parliament on Wednesday
that he ''will not run away,'' Hatoyama said, ''But who's the one that keeps
running away from a public verdict?''
''When suffering such low support ratings, you may want to act in your own
interest and not want to exercise your right to dissolve the Diet, but that has
resulted in a stagnation in both internal and foreign affairs and has troubled
the public,'' he said.
Following a series of policy flip-flops, particularly over his 2 trillion yen
cash handout plan, Aso's public approval ratings have slipped below 20 percent
in about four months since he took office in September.
Meanwhile, Makiko Tanaka, a former foreign minister who was once a member of
the Liberal Democratic Party but is now an independent lawmaker, criticized Aso
for his handling of the deadlocked issue of North Korea's abductions of
Japanese nationals.
Aso has pledged to work hard for the return of all abductees left in North
Korea, but Tanaka said, ''If so, please show us the evidence that Japan has
made proactive efforts, if any, (to realize their return) at the recent
six-party talks,'' adding, ''Are you seriously eager to achieve a
breakthrough?''
But Aso, who has also served as foreign minister, did not go further than
reiterating that he would make all-out efforts to press Pyongyang to launch a
full reinvestigation into the abduction cases and to have the victims return
home as soon as possible.
On the so-called ''watari'' system in which retired bureaucrats repeatedly land
postretirement jobs at entities connected to the ministries they worked at, Aso
said he ''has no intention of authorizing (such) arrangements anymore'' during
his term of office.
A law enacted in 2007 prohibits the system, but such appointments could still
occur during a three-year transition period under a related government
ordinance authorizing the practice or if the prime minister gives the go-ahead.
Previously, Aso had only said he would stick to prohibiting the system in
principle but could give no guarantees as the ordinance allows for the practice
during the transition period.
Asked why he had adjusted his position at this point despite the fact that
there have been calls for total prohibition for a long time, Aso told reporters
in the evening that it was ''the public opinion'' that had moved him.
One of those actively opposing the system is Yoshimi Watanabe, a high-profile
lawmaker, who left the LDP earlier this month in protest at the government's
slow progress in streamlining the national public servant system.
But Naoto Kan, acting president of the DPJ, rapped Aso for falling short of
declaring he would scrap the ordinance itself, saying at a regular press
conference, ''He doesn't do it because he isn't able to contain the resistance
from central bureaucrats.''
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told a separate press conference that
Aso's decision is a policy ''made by one administration and one prime
minister,'' hinting at the possibility that whoever will be the next prime
minister may change the system back and approve the practice.
Referring to Aso's plan to raise the consumption tax after economic recovery,
Hatoyama criticized him for not presenting any specific ideas on how revenues
from the tax hike will be used, as well as for advancing the tax increase plan
at a time when the nation's economy is still in the doldrums.
But Aso maintained, ''I have said the government plans to boost the tax after
turning the economy around. My stance on that has not changed a bit.''
After three days of interpellations, the Diet will begin deliberations on
Tuesday on the main fiscal 2009 budget that was submitted Jan. 19.
The ruling coalition of Aso's LDP and the New Komeito party is aiming to pass
the budget through parliament at the earliest possible time in March so that it
can be implemented once the next fiscal year commences April 1.
==Kyodo
2009-01-29 21:58:40
from the global economic crisis have started to take shape.
''I have put all my efforts into compiling economic measures and budgets to
finance steps to protect employment and the livelihood of the people from an
unprecedented global financial crisis,'' Aso told a House of Representatives
plenary session.
''Therefore, I will seek a public mandate at an appropriate time after
clarifying what the issues will be,'' the 68-year-old Japanese leader said.
Aso was responding to questions from Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the
main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, who urged the prime minister to
dissolve the lower house for an election as quickly as possible.
In his first press conference this year on Jan. 4, Aso said his priority was to
revive the recession-hit economy and that he would not consider calling an
election until the Diet passes the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills.
Mentioning that Aso had said in his policy speech to parliament on Wednesday
that he ''will not run away,'' Hatoyama said, ''But who's the one that keeps
running away from a public verdict?''
''When suffering such low support ratings, you may want to act in your own
interest and not want to exercise your right to dissolve the Diet, but that has
resulted in a stagnation in both internal and foreign affairs and has troubled
the public,'' he said.
Following a series of policy flip-flops, particularly over his 2 trillion yen
cash handout plan, Aso's public approval ratings have slipped below 20 percent
in about four months since he took office in September.
Meanwhile, Makiko Tanaka, a former foreign minister who was once a member of
the Liberal Democratic Party but is now an independent lawmaker, criticized Aso
for his handling of the deadlocked issue of North Korea's abductions of
Japanese nationals.
Aso has pledged to work hard for the return of all abductees left in North
Korea, but Tanaka said, ''If so, please show us the evidence that Japan has
made proactive efforts, if any, (to realize their return) at the recent
six-party talks,'' adding, ''Are you seriously eager to achieve a
breakthrough?''
But Aso, who has also served as foreign minister, did not go further than
reiterating that he would make all-out efforts to press Pyongyang to launch a
full reinvestigation into the abduction cases and to have the victims return
home as soon as possible.
On the so-called ''watari'' system in which retired bureaucrats repeatedly land
postretirement jobs at entities connected to the ministries they worked at, Aso
said he ''has no intention of authorizing (such) arrangements anymore'' during
his term of office.
A law enacted in 2007 prohibits the system, but such appointments could still
occur during a three-year transition period under a related government
ordinance authorizing the practice or if the prime minister gives the go-ahead.
Previously, Aso had only said he would stick to prohibiting the system in
principle but could give no guarantees as the ordinance allows for the practice
during the transition period.
Asked why he had adjusted his position at this point despite the fact that
there have been calls for total prohibition for a long time, Aso told reporters
in the evening that it was ''the public opinion'' that had moved him.
One of those actively opposing the system is Yoshimi Watanabe, a high-profile
lawmaker, who left the LDP earlier this month in protest at the government's
slow progress in streamlining the national public servant system.
But Naoto Kan, acting president of the DPJ, rapped Aso for falling short of
declaring he would scrap the ordinance itself, saying at a regular press
conference, ''He doesn't do it because he isn't able to contain the resistance
from central bureaucrats.''
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told a separate press conference that
Aso's decision is a policy ''made by one administration and one prime
minister,'' hinting at the possibility that whoever will be the next prime
minister may change the system back and approve the practice.
Referring to Aso's plan to raise the consumption tax after economic recovery,
Hatoyama criticized him for not presenting any specific ideas on how revenues
from the tax hike will be used, as well as for advancing the tax increase plan
at a time when the nation's economy is still in the doldrums.
But Aso maintained, ''I have said the government plans to boost the tax after
turning the economy around. My stance on that has not changed a bit.''
After three days of interpellations, the Diet will begin deliberations on
Tuesday on the main fiscal 2009 budget that was submitted Jan. 19.
The ruling coalition of Aso's LDP and the New Komeito party is aiming to pass
the budget through parliament at the earliest possible time in March so that it
can be implemented once the next fiscal year commences April 1.
==Kyodo
2009-01-29 21:58:40
