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SPECIAL : The Political Situation
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Since May 2011 and maybe even before that, the opposition is trying hard to oust prime minister Kan, even on his trip to Europe they kept going ...
Most of the population does not want a change of government right now, though.
This political infight at a time when unity and support for the people of Tohoku is needed most of all is quite sad to observe.
The main source of the bulletins is from
source : NHK world news .
Here I collect updates of the development.
Since this is going to take more time than I envisaged, it will come in more parts.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan 菅直人
May 2011 till Sunday, June 5, 2011
. The Political Situation - PART 1 .
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Monday, June 06, 2011
Okada proposes grand coalition for disaster relief
Katsuya Okada 岡田克也
Nobuteru Ishihara 石原伸晃
dairenritsu 大連立 grand coalition, grand alliance
and who will be prime minister after Kan?
Sunday, June 05, 2011 23:21 - NHK
Kan determined to pass important bills
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has indicated that he wants to stay in office until important bills are passed into law.
Kan met senior members of his Democratic Party on Sunday and said he wants to exercise his leadership to have 3 important bills ready to be approved.
The legislation covers a draft second extra budget for reconstruction projects, a bill for issuing government bonds to cover deficits and another for child allowances.
The party members said that if the Kan Cabinet submits the draft budget, it should take charge of Diet deliberations as well, suggesting that he should stay in office until the budget is approved.
Kan denied speculation that he intends to resign when reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are safely shut down, which is projected to take place in January.
He said people apparently misunderstood his remark that he will leave office after the damaged plant is put under control.
Monday, June 06, 2011 07:37 - NHK
DPJ, LDP explore possibility of grand coalition
Japan's ruling and opposition parties are clashing over when Prime Minister Naoto Kan will step down. At the same time, they are exploring the possibility of a grand coalition.
The current session of the Diet will end on June 22nd. But it remains unclear if the Diet will pass a second supplementary budget and a bill to allow the government to issue debt-covering bonds.
The Secretary General of the ruling Democratic Party, Katsuya Okada, said on Sunday that he favors a grand coalition of the governing and opposition parties for a limited period of time. Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara 前原誠司 said the political stalemate caused by the opposition-dominated Upper House should be ended so that Japan can focus on reconstruction. He said a grand coalition is the way to go.
The Secretary General of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, Nobuteru Ishihara, said the party would consider the possibility of a grand coalition more positively once the timing of the Lower House dissolution and a general election become clear.
The Democratic Party's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshito Sengoku 仙谷由人, has met with Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Tadamori Oshima 大島理森 several times to exchange views on the possibility.
On Sunday, Kan told Democratic Party executives that he wants to bring disaster-related problems under control before he steps down. He and party executives confirmed they will do all they can to get the 2 key bills passed during the current session of the Diet. Kan also met Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office Yukihito Akutsu 阿久津幸彦 and other allies.
After the meeting, Akutsu told reporters that Kan spoke about his dreams, including reforming the nation's tax system and social security system at the same time.
Some members of the government and the Democratic Party say Kan will leave office some time this summer. But Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa 北澤俊美 said a new leader must be selected with the participation of party members and supporters, so the timing of Kan's departure will be after September 1st. Opposition parties are demanding an earlier departure, saying that a new leader must be in charge of reconstruction.
LDP Secretary General Ishihara said that unless Kan resigns, his party will not cooperate on the passage of the bills to approve debt-covering bonds and the supplementary budget. Some Democratic Party members say the timing of Kan's departure may be earlier than expected.
Monday, June 06, 2011 13:34 - NHK
Edano seeks cooperative deal with opposition
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano 枝野幸男 says he wants to see an arrangement in which ruling and opposition lawmakers can cooperate on a wide range of issues.
Edano was commenting on growing calls for a grand coalition among executives of the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
Edano told reporters a deal is needed because the government has to work quickly to achieve "a measure of progress" in disaster recovery and getting the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi plant under control. He said the calls for swift action from people in the disaster zone must be answered.
Executives of both parties forming a grand coalition is a possibility after Prime Minister Naoto Kan leaves office.
Asked about when Kan will step down, Edano said the government has to adjust its disaster response every day due to the volatility of the situation, but that it must do all it can to get relief measures on track.
He says there is no clear-cut definition for what Prime Minister Naoto Kan calls "a measure of progress," but he believes it is a reasonable gauge and will be widely accepted.
. . . . .
Opposition tells Kan to step down in June
The secretaries general of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito urged Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday to step down by the end of this month.
While Kan plans to resign by August, Katsuya Okada, the secretary general of Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan, suggested in an NHK program that the prime minister leave the post earlier than currently planned.
Okada also expressed a willingness to temporarily form a grand coalition government with the conservative LDP to tackle the task of rebuilding regions devastated by the March disaster before the next general election is held and decides the ruling party.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110606a1.html
Ozawa escapes DPJ repercussions
Former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa will escape punishment for his role in the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet because the party's leaders fear his followers' clout.
The Democratic Party of Japan's top leadership will refrain from punishing the party's former leader, Ichiro Ozawa, for abstaining from Thursday's vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet, DPJ sources said Saturday.
For the 14 other than Ozawa, however, the leadership is leaning toward suspending their membership unless they had good reason to skip the vote, such as illness, they said.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110606a2.html
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Tuesday, June 07, 2011
quote
DPJ pushing LDP ties after Kan resigns
June exit may speed grand bloc
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan on Monday again started exploring the possibility of forming a coalition government with the main opposition party after his expected exit possibly this month.
In addition to DPJ executives who voiced support over the weekend for forming a grand coalition with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano acknowledged its necessity.
"It is desirable to have a structure where a wide range of cooperation can be assured in the Diet," Edano, the top government spokesman, said at a news conference. "The DPJ is working on the matter more specifically."
Prime Minister Naoto Kan bites into a salted plum presented by Miss Plum Saki Yasuda on Monday at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.
source : Japan Times
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Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 09:58 - NHK
Lawmakers debate timing of Kan's departure
Calls are mounting from within Japan's ruling Democratic Party, or DPJ, for Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down as soon as the Diet passes a budget bill for debt-covering bonds, possibly by the end of June.
Some DPJ leaders say Diet affairs cannot move forward without cooperation from the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition groups.
They are proposing that Kan's resignation coincide with the enactment of a temporary law to allow the issuance of debt-covering bonds.
Kan said on Tuesday that the government plans to submit a secondary budget bill in July to fund the rebuilding of northeastern Japan. He said he would then decide when to step down based on common sense.
Opposition parties are demanding that Kan leave office as soon as possible. They say a prime minister who has said he will resign cannot take responsibility for compiling the budget bill and other important challenges at hand.
Separately, some leaders of the ruling and opposition parties are conducting unofficial talks on the possibility of forming a grand coalition after Kan leaves. But both sides are still cautious about the idea.
Former foreign minister Seiji Maehara 前原誠司 suggested on Tuesday that choosing a prime minister in such a coalition from outside the Democratic Party would be an option.
. . . . . and
The dollar fell below 80 yen on the Tokyo foreign exchange market on Wednesday for the first time in about 2 and a half months.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 13:32 - NHK
Edano defends Kan adminstration
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the current Japanese Cabinet has made progress in some areas over the past year, including tax and social security reform.
The top government spokesman was speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the start of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet.
Edano admitted that Kan's administration has been unable to make significant advances in many areas. But he stressed that it sorted out options and carried forward various important issues. He said these include reforming tax and social security systems in an integrated way.
Edano added that Japan's politics now face the challenge of yielding results by building on the achievements made over the past year.
Referring to Kan's remarks last week that he will pass on his responsibilities to the younger generation after he fulfills his role, Edano said the current administration and those that follow must make efforts to this end.
quote
LDP wants Kan to exit by mid-June
Prime Minister Naoto Kan must resign immediately after the enactment of a bill outlining the rebuilding of areas affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, major opposition parties said Tuesday.
The enactment is expected as soon as June 17. The secretaries general of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito agreed on the timing for Kan to step down, lawmakers said.
LDP leader Sadakazu Tanigaki, who proposed the timing of Kan's resignation, also expressed at a party meeting that the LDP is ready to establish cross-party cooperation to avoid policy paralysis.
"By creating a new framework, we will not escape from our responsibility to deal with the reconstruction," Tanigaki said.
Executives of Kan's Democratic Party of Japan and the LDP are both exploring the possibility of forming a grand coalition after Kan's resignation.
But a tug of war continues over when Kan, the fifth prime minister in five years, should quit.
... Many other Cabinet members are also supportive of the idea of creating a grand coalition to address the raft of challenges facing Japan.
... New Komeito is cautious about joining hands with the DPJ.
source : Japan Times
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Thursday, June 09, 2011
Thursday, June 09, 2011 14:57 - NHK
Kan expresses desire to stay on through August
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has indicated that he will stay in office at least until the end of August, despite calls for him to step down this month.
Kan was speaking at a lower house committee on Thursday, one week after he survived a no-confidence motion submitted by opposition parties critical of his handling of the March 11th disaster and Fukushima nuclear accident.
Kan said the fact that the motion was rejected by a big margin means he was given a mandate to do his best to address reconstruction.
He spoke of the need to help evacuees living in temporary housing make a living, remove debris from the stricken areas and settle the Fukushima nuclear accident. He said he wants to fulfill his responsibilities until prospects become clear for these efforts to bear fruit.
He said the government is striving to clear debris from residential areas by the end of August. He also said it is his responsibility to connect that effort to the 2nd and 3rd stages of debris removal.
The government plans to help all those affected in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami settle in temporary housing by the mid-August holiday season.
Thursday, June 09, 2011 22:02 - NHK
DPJ preparing for leadership election
With Japanese politics abuzz over when Prime Minister Naoto Kan will resign, several names have been tossed around as candidates to head the ruling Democratic Party. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda 野田佳彦 is among them.
Some senior members of the Kan Cabinet are believed to support Noda, citing his likely continuation of economic and fiscal policy.
They also reportedly say that Noda would face less opposition from fellow DPJ lawmakers critical of the government than other candidates.
Noda has remained noncommittal. He said he would like to fulfill his duties as finance minister in the government and nothing more or less.
Kan said in the Lower House on Thursday that he wants to stay in office until reconstruction efforts in the disaster-hit areas have made progress, possibly by August.
Other names being talked about include former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, agriculture minister Michihiko Kano 鹿野道彦 and economy minister Banri Kaieda.
Maehara said at a meeting that it's not time for him to stand up for leadership but he would like to stay on top of the issue.
Former internal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi 原口一博 said he will not turn down the job if he is asked. Haraguchi added that with Kan still in power he wants to watch the situation calmly.
Meanwhile, former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa said he will field a candidate, taking into account his experience and relations with opposition parties.
Ozawa told lawmakers close to him it doesn't matter which group a candidate belongs to, as long as they rebuild the country. He stressed the importance of party unity and added that he believes his group will win the next party leadership election.
quote
Besieged Kan marks milestone: one year
The first anniversary of Naoto Kan's prime ministership arrived Wednesday amid a whirlwind of political maneuvering and speculation over when he would step down and whether the ruling and opposition parties can form a grand coalition.
Even as the nation struggles in the aftermath of the deadly tsunami and earthquake, and with the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, ruling and opposition party lawmakers have been engaged in horse-trading, triggering public ire and disappointment, especially among those in the disaster zones.
..... The three most likely exit scenarios are: He will hang on until the passage of the basic reconstruction bill, or until legislation is enacted to allow the issuance of deficit-covering government bonds to fund a large part of the fiscal 2011 initial budget, which is currently being debated in the Lower House. Third, he might wait for the drafting of the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2011, possibly in July.
..... And even after Kan steps down, the biggest question remains for the DPJ: Who's next?
Among those floated as candidates are Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara.
..... Another major task is uniting the DPJ, which nearly splintered after kingpin Ichiro Ozawa, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and dozens of others expressed their intention to vote with the opposition on a no-confidence motion submitted last week against Kan.
source : Japan Times
quote
Groundless call for coalition
After Prime Minister Naoto Kan survived a no-confidence motion on June 2, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya Okada started calling for the formation of a grand coalition between the DPJ and the Liberal Democratic Party.
It is irresponsible of Mr. Okada to make such a call. It appears that he has forgotten the simple fact that the DPJ came to power by beating the LDP in the August 2009 Lower House election with slogans that represented a rejection of LDP politics.
Mr. Okada's call for a grand coalition is tantamount to throwing down the drain the DPJ's basic policy ideas enscapsulated in "People's lives come first" and "From concrete to humans" — slogans that showed many voters a ray of hope.
..... Mr. Okada's call for a grand coalition seems nothing more than an attempt to varnish over his inability as DPJ secretary general to move politics forward. Control of most Diet seats by the DPJ and the LDP runs against the principle of democracy anyway.
source : Japan Times
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Friday, June 10, 2011
quote
Noda emerges as likely Kan successor : 野田佳彦
With Naoto Kan's days as prime minister apparently numbered, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda emerges as a key candidate to succeed Kan.
source : Japan Times
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May 2011 till June 5, 2011
. The Political Situation - PART 1 .
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DIARY - daily reports
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