Related News
Japanese PM dodges calls for an early election
Source: Agencies |
January 5, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPANESE Prime Minister Taro Aso said yesterday that passing legislation to rescue the economy from recession took priority over calling an early election, which surveys suggest his ruling bloc could well lose.
Aso, an outspoken nationalist and a fan of manga comic books, was chosen by his long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party last September to woo voters ahead of an election for parliament's powerful lower house that must be held by September 2009.
But his support had fallen below 20 percent in a survey late last year as the gaffe-prone prime minister battled to keep control over his coalition amid growing unease at the global credit crunch and a rising tide of bankruptcies and layoffs.
Recent polls also show that more voters intend to cast their ballots for the main opposition Democratic Party in the next election, raising the prospect that the conservative LDP, which has ruled for most of the past five decades, could be ousted along with its junior coalition partner, the New Komeito Party.
The Democrats, a mix of ex-LDP law makers, one-time socialists and younger conservatives, have blasted Aso's policies as a band-aid for the world's second biggest economy.
Asked about the timing for a lower house election, Aso told a news conference: "It is clear that we need to be quick on economic steps. It is important to enact the budget and relevant bills quickly and until then, I am not thinking about calling an election."
The budget for the year from April 1 usually passes parliament in March but could be later this year because the opposition controls parliament's upper house and can delay bills.
Speculation has simmered that Aso might be forced to agree to call a snap poll in return for an opposition pledge not to delay the budget and block laws needed to implement it.
He has unveiled an 88.5-trillion-yen (US$960 billion) budget for the fiscal year starting in April, the nation's biggest ever.
That budget, along with two other extra budgets for the current year, will finance 12 trillion yen in fiscal stimulus programs, which amounts to more than 2 percent of Japan's gross domestic product.
Aso, an outspoken nationalist and a fan of manga comic books, was chosen by his long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party last September to woo voters ahead of an election for parliament's powerful lower house that must be held by September 2009.
But his support had fallen below 20 percent in a survey late last year as the gaffe-prone prime minister battled to keep control over his coalition amid growing unease at the global credit crunch and a rising tide of bankruptcies and layoffs.
Recent polls also show that more voters intend to cast their ballots for the main opposition Democratic Party in the next election, raising the prospect that the conservative LDP, which has ruled for most of the past five decades, could be ousted along with its junior coalition partner, the New Komeito Party.
The Democrats, a mix of ex-LDP law makers, one-time socialists and younger conservatives, have blasted Aso's policies as a band-aid for the world's second biggest economy.
Asked about the timing for a lower house election, Aso told a news conference: "It is clear that we need to be quick on economic steps. It is important to enact the budget and relevant bills quickly and until then, I am not thinking about calling an election."
The budget for the year from April 1 usually passes parliament in March but could be later this year because the opposition controls parliament's upper house and can delay bills.
Speculation has simmered that Aso might be forced to agree to call a snap poll in return for an opposition pledge not to delay the budget and block laws needed to implement it.
He has unveiled an 88.5-trillion-yen (US$960 billion) budget for the fiscal year starting in April, the nation's biggest ever.
That budget, along with two other extra budgets for the current year, will finance 12 trillion yen in fiscal stimulus programs, which amounts to more than 2 percent of Japan's gross domestic product.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
