ID :
48089
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 22:25
Auther :
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https://oananews.org//node/48089
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FY 2009 budget clears lower house, but Aso may face further turmoil+
TOKYO, Feb. 27 Kyodo - The fiscal 2009 budget cleared the House of Representatives on Friday, making it certain it will be enacted by the end of the current fiscal year on March 31, but pressure from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso to be removed prior to a general election may gain
momentum after the enactment.
Expressing his delight about the much-awaited passage of the budget, the
premier told reporters Friday evening, ''I have kept saying that enactment of
the budget will be the most effective economic step.''
Under the Constitution, the record 88.5 trillion yen budget, which includes 1
trillion yen in special emergency reserves, will be enacted 30 days after being
sent to the House of Councillors even if the upper house, which is controlled
by the opposition parties, refuses to vote on it.
But the budget's enactment could also be bad news for Aso, 68, who is
struggling to remain in power amid plunging support ratings, as some LDP
lawmakers seeking an early dissolution of the lower house are expected to
accelerate moves to remove Aso from his post.
It will also likely provide a cue for the opposition camp, led by the
Democratic Party of Japan, to step up pressure for the lower house to be
dissolved for a general election that must be held by the fall.
The DPJ, which is widely seen as having a good shot at wresting power from the
long-dominant LDP at the next election, is mulling submitting to the Diet a
censure motion against Aso or a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet.
In the latest sign of such anti-Aso moves, former LDP Secretary General Tsutomu
Takebe told reporters Friday that the LDP needs to brace itself for the
election with ''a new leader,'' just after suggesting the previous day that the
premier should ''promptly make a smart decision'' and step down.
Last September, Aso was tapped as LDP president amid expectations that he would
dissolve the lower house for a snap election and lead the already weakening LDP
to victory.
But he has avoided calling an election amid low popularity ratings, saying he
needs to focus on reviving Japan's recession-hit economy. He has said he will
call an election at an ''appropriate time'' once the budget and related bills
clear the Diet.
On the increasingly evident revolt against Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo
Kawamura said, ''It has been our party's tradition that members freely say
whatever they have to say, but once we figure out what's important, we join
hands and work together toward that goal.''
Against this backdrop, speculation has risen that Aso will compile fresh
economic steps and submit an extra budget for fiscal 2009 during the current
Diet session ending June 3. By doing so, he could put off dissolution of the
lower house, widely anticipated for May, and hold on to power for a little
longer.
Sources close to the premier have said he is looking to instruct the ruling
bloc of the LDP and the New Komeito party in early March, shortly after a
controversial cash handout-related bill is passed, to work on large-scale
additional steps so he can announce them prior to the Group of 20 financial
summit in London slated for April 2.
Aso himself has played down the possibility of submitting an extra budget,
telling reporters that deliberations are still under way over the main budget
and ''the government is not at the stage of talking about a supplementary
budget.''
During deliberations by the lower house's Budget Committee in the morning,
however, he indicated a positive stance about putting together additional
stimulus measures, saying, ''We always need to keep in mind whether the
economic measures are enough.''
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama denounced the move, saying, ''Talking
about an extra budget already means the government is saying out loud that the
main budget is a flawed one.''
If an extra budget is submitted to the Diet and an election does not take place
in May, Aso ''may stay in office until the term of lower house members expires
(in September) or until he is forced to dissolve it (the lower house)'' at a
time even more disadvantageous to the LDP, said Tomoaki Iwai, a professor of
politics at Nihon University.
But one source close to Aso said he will opt to dissolve the Diet if there are
any moves toward removing him from office and that he has no intention of
stepping down or reshuffling his Cabinet.
On Friday evening, Aso also demonstrated his hope that not just the budget but
also the related bills would smoothly sail through the upper house as well
within the current fiscal year.
To enact a bill other than a budget, the ruling coalition needs to hold a
revote in the lower chamber to pass it if the upper house rejects it or does
not hold a vote within 60 days of receiving the bill.
Meanwhile, a bill to implement the cash handout plan included in the second
extra budget for fiscal 2008, which is currently in the upper house, is likely
to be enacted in a lower house revote March 4.
The focus of attention will be whether any LDP lawmakers follow former Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi who has announced his intention to abstain from
voting.
Earlier in February, Koizumi, who remains a powerful presence in the LDP,
unleashed an attack on Aso for remarks the prime minister made against postal
privatization, the flagship of Koizumi's structural reforms, and said he would
sit out the scheduled revote.
==Kyodo
2009-02-27 22:52:04
momentum after the enactment.
Expressing his delight about the much-awaited passage of the budget, the
premier told reporters Friday evening, ''I have kept saying that enactment of
the budget will be the most effective economic step.''
Under the Constitution, the record 88.5 trillion yen budget, which includes 1
trillion yen in special emergency reserves, will be enacted 30 days after being
sent to the House of Councillors even if the upper house, which is controlled
by the opposition parties, refuses to vote on it.
But the budget's enactment could also be bad news for Aso, 68, who is
struggling to remain in power amid plunging support ratings, as some LDP
lawmakers seeking an early dissolution of the lower house are expected to
accelerate moves to remove Aso from his post.
It will also likely provide a cue for the opposition camp, led by the
Democratic Party of Japan, to step up pressure for the lower house to be
dissolved for a general election that must be held by the fall.
The DPJ, which is widely seen as having a good shot at wresting power from the
long-dominant LDP at the next election, is mulling submitting to the Diet a
censure motion against Aso or a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet.
In the latest sign of such anti-Aso moves, former LDP Secretary General Tsutomu
Takebe told reporters Friday that the LDP needs to brace itself for the
election with ''a new leader,'' just after suggesting the previous day that the
premier should ''promptly make a smart decision'' and step down.
Last September, Aso was tapped as LDP president amid expectations that he would
dissolve the lower house for a snap election and lead the already weakening LDP
to victory.
But he has avoided calling an election amid low popularity ratings, saying he
needs to focus on reviving Japan's recession-hit economy. He has said he will
call an election at an ''appropriate time'' once the budget and related bills
clear the Diet.
On the increasingly evident revolt against Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo
Kawamura said, ''It has been our party's tradition that members freely say
whatever they have to say, but once we figure out what's important, we join
hands and work together toward that goal.''
Against this backdrop, speculation has risen that Aso will compile fresh
economic steps and submit an extra budget for fiscal 2009 during the current
Diet session ending June 3. By doing so, he could put off dissolution of the
lower house, widely anticipated for May, and hold on to power for a little
longer.
Sources close to the premier have said he is looking to instruct the ruling
bloc of the LDP and the New Komeito party in early March, shortly after a
controversial cash handout-related bill is passed, to work on large-scale
additional steps so he can announce them prior to the Group of 20 financial
summit in London slated for April 2.
Aso himself has played down the possibility of submitting an extra budget,
telling reporters that deliberations are still under way over the main budget
and ''the government is not at the stage of talking about a supplementary
budget.''
During deliberations by the lower house's Budget Committee in the morning,
however, he indicated a positive stance about putting together additional
stimulus measures, saying, ''We always need to keep in mind whether the
economic measures are enough.''
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama denounced the move, saying, ''Talking
about an extra budget already means the government is saying out loud that the
main budget is a flawed one.''
If an extra budget is submitted to the Diet and an election does not take place
in May, Aso ''may stay in office until the term of lower house members expires
(in September) or until he is forced to dissolve it (the lower house)'' at a
time even more disadvantageous to the LDP, said Tomoaki Iwai, a professor of
politics at Nihon University.
But one source close to Aso said he will opt to dissolve the Diet if there are
any moves toward removing him from office and that he has no intention of
stepping down or reshuffling his Cabinet.
On Friday evening, Aso also demonstrated his hope that not just the budget but
also the related bills would smoothly sail through the upper house as well
within the current fiscal year.
To enact a bill other than a budget, the ruling coalition needs to hold a
revote in the lower chamber to pass it if the upper house rejects it or does
not hold a vote within 60 days of receiving the bill.
Meanwhile, a bill to implement the cash handout plan included in the second
extra budget for fiscal 2008, which is currently in the upper house, is likely
to be enacted in a lower house revote March 4.
The focus of attention will be whether any LDP lawmakers follow former Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi who has announced his intention to abstain from
voting.
Earlier in February, Koizumi, who remains a powerful presence in the LDP,
unleashed an attack on Aso for remarks the prime minister made against postal
privatization, the flagship of Koizumi's structural reforms, and said he would
sit out the scheduled revote.
==Kyodo
2009-02-27 22:52:04
