Noda party delays tax vote amid poll clamor
Source: Agencies |
August 8, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPAN'S ruling Democrats yesterday delayed a final vote on their tax-hike plan to deal with a no-confidence motion filed by fringe parties, exposing Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to more pressure from the opposition demanding an early election.
Elections are not due until August 2013 and Noda is reluctant to call a snap poll, in which the Democrats look certain to suffer a heavy defeat.
Initially the Democrats and their two main opposition rivals agreed to vote on the tax plan in the parliament's upper house today and its passage appeared assured after the three parties backed the bill in a lower house vote in June.
The no-confidence motion filed by the small parties, which oppose the tax plan, is a symbolic gesture rather than a real threat, given that Democrats have enough votes to defeat the motion even if all opposition parties voted together.
But the delay will allow the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party pile more pressure on Noda and seek his commitment to an early election, preferably this year, before backing the tax plan and his further political agenda.
LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Monday: "If the bills are enacted, (Noda) needs to go to the people and set things right."
Asked by reporters if the LDP would also seek a no-confidence motion or censure motion unless Noda promises to dissolve parliament, Tanigaki said such arguments were gaining momentum in the party.
Noda has staked his political future on his plan to double the sales tax to 10 percent by 2015, in an effort to curb Japan's snowballing public debt, splintering his party in the process.
Elections are not due until August 2013 and Noda is reluctant to call a snap poll, in which the Democrats look certain to suffer a heavy defeat.
Initially the Democrats and their two main opposition rivals agreed to vote on the tax plan in the parliament's upper house today and its passage appeared assured after the three parties backed the bill in a lower house vote in June.
The no-confidence motion filed by the small parties, which oppose the tax plan, is a symbolic gesture rather than a real threat, given that Democrats have enough votes to defeat the motion even if all opposition parties voted together.
But the delay will allow the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party pile more pressure on Noda and seek his commitment to an early election, preferably this year, before backing the tax plan and his further political agenda.
LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Monday: "If the bills are enacted, (Noda) needs to go to the people and set things right."
Asked by reporters if the LDP would also seek a no-confidence motion or censure motion unless Noda promises to dissolve parliament, Tanigaki said such arguments were gaining momentum in the party.
Noda has staked his political future on his plan to double the sales tax to 10 percent by 2015, in an effort to curb Japan's snowballing public debt, splintering his party in the process.
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