General election not to come around Tokyo assembly election: Kawamura+

TOKYO, April 22 Kyodo -
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Wednesday the general election
should not be held around the time of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election
July 12 as the New Komeito party will put all its effort into the local
election.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed a negative view about
making consideration for the New Komeito party and ruling out the choice of
holding the general election around the time of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly
election.
''We always have various considerations for New Komeito,'' Aso told reporters.
''But I won't think about an election date in line with such (consideration),''
Aso added.
Kawamura, an LDP lawmaker, said in a speech in Tokyo, ''We've been told by New
Komeito that they will be unable to back the Liberal Democratic Party if the
dissolution of the lower house and the general election come when they're
devoting themselves to the assembly election.''
''We cannot ignore what a ruling party says,'' he said.
The LDP and New Komeito form Japan's ruling coalition.
Kawamura said it is necessary to gain Diet approval of the fiscal 2009 extra
budget, adding, ''It's the real feeling of Prime Minister (Taro) Aso that the
lower house dissolution should follow it.''
But he suggested the dissolution may come sooner if the opposition Democratic
Party of Japan opposes the supplementary budget.
Kawamura's remarks drew criticism from opposition parties.
''Why does the chief Cabinet secretary have to say (the LDP) will make
consideration for the New Komeito party?'' Democratic Party of Japan Secretary
General Yukio Hatoyama said.
Hatoyama added that the timing of the lower house dissolution needs to be
decided in consideration for the people.
Japanese Communist Party Diet affairs chief Keiji Kokuta also criticized
Kawamura, saying, ''Dissolution should not be decided on profit-and-loss
arithmetic of the ruling parties.''
Meanwhile, New Komeito Secretary General Kazuo Kitagawa said at a news
conference, ''We've said from before it's not easy to give firm support to LDP
candidates in the lower house election when the LDP and the New Komeito party
are contesting in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election.''
Kitagawa also expressed the view that the situation is not ripe for the prime
minister to go ahead and dissolve the House of Representatives, saying, ''It
does not appear that the LDP is regaining enough support.''
''Although Cabinet approval ratings are on the rise, disapproval ratings are
still high,'' Kitagawa said.
==Kyodo
2009-04-22 23:34:20