Japan's DPJ under fire for scandalous remarks
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Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is facing a series of political headaches with the latest being the decision by the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to submit a censure motion against Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida.
The censure motion will be submitted to the upper house of parliament next Monday, following comments made by Yanagida deemed to be disrespectful to parliament.
In his home constituency in Hiroshima Prefecture, Yanagida told supporters at a private gathering that his job as justice minister was easy and only required him to memorize two key phrases.
"Being the justice minister is easy, as I only have to remember two phrases, either of which I can use in parliament whenever I'm stuck for an answer," he reportedly said.
The first is, "I refrain from making comments on a specific issue," and "'We're dealing with the matter based on laws and evidence," Yanagida said.
His comments sparked outrage from opposition officials who called for Yanagida's resignation, saying his comments demean parliamentary affairs.
Yanagida has refused vociferous calls for him to step down to take responsibility for his comments, despite the LDP deciding on Friday morning to introduce a no-confidence motion against him in the lower house of parliament.
"I will sincerely respond to deliberations in the Diet, and at the same time I'd like to fully perform my duties," Yanagida told a news conference.
If the censure motion is passed, as will likely be the case, the opposition camp is expected to abstain from talks on the extra budget for the current fiscal year, which will deliver a hammer- blow to Kan, who is already suffering from falling public support for failing to kickstart Japan's sluggish economy.
"We should not vote on the budget bill when there is a Cabinet member who has no abilities and insight," the LDP's Diet affairs chief Ichiro Aisawa told the media on Friday.
With New Komeito, the second biggest opposition party, also now deciding to oppose the bill, it is likely the extra budget for the year through March 31, will not be approved in the upper house.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, Kan's top spokesman, said despite the Yanagida's blunder the government is not considering asking Yangida to step down.
"Of course, I want to see him making utmost efforts with his duties," Sengoku told a news conference in response to questions as to whether the government would pressure the justice minister to step down.
Prior to Kan's most recent headache, Sengoku himself opened up a political can of worms on Thursday by referring to the Japanese Self-Defense Force troops as an "instrument of violence."
Sengoku's comments came during a House of Councilors' Budget Committee session as a response to opposition lawmaker's questions about SDF members' political neutrality as compared to other public officials.
Sengoku called for the "need to adhere to the principle of civilian control given that SDF troops are an "instrument of violence" and "a kind of military organization."
The chief cabinet secretary, following an outcry from opposition lawmakers following his incendiary remarks, later retracted his initial comments and admitted they were inappropriate.
Sengoku was later reprimanded by Kan, who said he issued his right-hand-man a "stern warning."
Further adding to political instability in Kan's government, lawmakers close to DPJ's Ichiro Ozawa quoted the political powerhouse as saying the House of Representatives "could be dissolved" for a snap election as the current government is facing insurmountable problems.
"The current government is having a hard time," Ozawa, former leader of the DPJ said.
Ozawa, who holds sway over a number of DPJ lawmakers, is widely regarded as being the party's puppet-master, and crafted the DPJ election campaign that displaced the LDP from power in the last general election.
Ozawa is now heading up a policy group of new lawmakers in the lower house. The group is set to embark on a mission of upholding the DPJ's original election pledges, made at the general election last year, some of which have since gone awry, and giving advice to the government. Their activities will begin from Nov. 25, lawmakers said.
Kan and his Cabinet have also come under fire and lost public support over the handling of territorial spats which have reemerged with Russia and China -- the later of which has seen bilateral, diplomatic relations between the two nations sink to their lowest point in decades.
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