Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda arrives in Rome's Fiumicino International airport June 2, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Japan's opposition camp on Wednesday introduced a nonbinding censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in the opposition-led upper house.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and two other opposition parties tabled the motion in the House of Councillors to criticize Fukuda's policy on domestic issues such as the elderly healthcare insurance.

Calling on Fukuda to dissolve the lower house for a general election, Yukio Hatoyama, DPJ's secretary general, said earlier Wednesday that the opposition took the action as Fukuda had disappointed the public.

The move, which is almost certain to be adopted in the upper house, will make Fukuda the first Prime Minister to face a non-confidence motion in the upper house under the current Constitution.

"I don't think it has any real meaning beyond being a sort of political performance," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura at a regular morning conference.

The ruling bloc will most likely have a confidence vote in the ruling-dominated House of Representatives to counter the censure motion.

Under the Constitution, a censure motion adopted by the upper house has no legally binding force while a non-confidence motion that passes the more powerful lower house will lead to the resignation of the Cabinet or dissolution of the lower house.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2008)