My opinion of this week(581):
Prime Minister should go for election
The Democratic Party of Japan will introduce a nonbinding censure motion
against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to the opposition-controlled House
of Councilors early next week.@
An opposition-sponsored bill to abolish the public health insurance system
for people aged 75 older introduced in April was approved Friday by the
House of Councilors and was sent to the House of Representatives and
the bill was passed the upper house on the same day.
The abolition bill demand to stop automatic insurance premium deduction from
pension by October. The bill also aims to maintain a freeze on collection
of insurance premiums from immediate family members who were not required
to pay insurance premiums on behalf of their relative under current health
insurance system.
The new insurance system introduced in April has been criticized by the
majority of older people and the ruling parties will again loose in coming
local election in Okinawa following the lose in by-election for lower house
in Yamaguchi in April. Prime Minister Fukuda and ruling fronts try to ease
the opposition against new insurance system by making several changes to
the new system but they intended to maintain new system basically insisting
that new system is very necessary.
The ruling fronts will vote down the abolition bill sent from the upper
house at the lower house sooner or later. Then the Democratic Party of
Japan will submit censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
at the upper house so that Prime Minister will dissolve the lower house for
general election. But it is said that Prime Minister will not do so
for there is no rule for him to do so under the present constitution.
There are some strong opposition to submit a censor motion bill to the
upper house inside of the Democratic Party of Japan for that reason.
Unless there exists a certain strong reason to go for general election
censor motion bill should not be submitted.
But Ichirou Ozawa, the representative of the party seemed to make up
his mind to submit the bill of censor motion at the upper house
regardless this circum stance. It is very necessary for the Democratic
Party of Japan to show a strong political stance against Fukuda
administration to maintain the new insurance system for the aged
people. What's more, issues are not only limited to the insurance
system but also many other very important issues which are directly
concerned with the life of people in this country such as pension
system, temporary gasoline taxes and so on.
I strongly support the move by the Democratic Party of Japan at this time.
Prime Minister Fukuda should definitely dissolve the lower house and
go for general election. Two cabinets were born since the resignation
of the then Prime Minister Koizumi two years ago. Both Abe Cabinet and
Fukuda Cabinet have not got any confidence by election. The popular
vote for Prime Minister Fukuda is less than 20% at this time in many
research made by mass media.
I believe that Prime Minister Fukuda should dissolve the lower house
if the censor motion bill is approved at the upper house. He can
neglect the motion but the support rate for Fukuda cabinet will
go down further and he will be obliged to dissolve the lower house
for general election at any rate sooner or later.
2008/6/7
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(582)
Is censure motion just a political performance?
The opposition-controlled Upper House passed an unprecedented, but
nonbinding, censure motion Wednesday against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda,
hoping that he would dissolve the upper house for general election. It is
the first time under the Constitution that a prime minister has been dealt
a censure motion by the Upper House.
"I listened carefully to (the reasons given by the opposition parties for
submitting the censure motion) and seriously take to heart each" point,
Fukuda told reporters Wednesday evening. But he whined about it saying it
is he himself who suffered a lot of troubles caused by the move of DPJ
(Democratic Party of Japan). Fukuda said he and the ruling bloc would
continue to seek cooperation and communication with the opposition camp
despite the censure motion.
However, Fukuda and ruling blocs' leaders ignored the motion and it is
unlikely they would select such alternative of general election. Chief
Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura criticized the censure as "nothing
more than a political performance."
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa wouldn't let the matter drop. "Fukuda and his
government are gravely responsible to the public, yet they barely
acknowledge that fact or make any effort to change politics," Ozawa said.
"Nor do they have the ability to do so."
I would like to support the opposition fronts for passing the censure motion
against Fukuda cabinet at Upper House. It is now the time for Fukuda to
dissolve the Lower House for general election. There have existed a serious
conflicts between two houses at the diet.
While House of Representative is led by a majority votes by ruling fronts,
House of Councils is led by a majority votes by opposing fronts. This is
the result of overall victory of DPJ at the upper house election of last
summer. The party shares a majority votes at the upper house with the
assistance of other opposition parties such as Communist party, Social
Democratic Party and so on.
On the other hand, the ruling parties, Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito
Party shares 2/3 of votes at lower house. This is the result of overall
victory by LDP at the general election made in the fall of 2005. There
were a lot of political turmoil's occurred in the past one year because of
this different majority seats at two houses.
The opposition fronts insist the importance of majority votes at upper house
because that is the result of most recent national election made a year ago.
On the other hand, overall majority votes at lower house is the result of
election made three years ago under Koizumi Cabinet. Both two cabinets Abe
and Fukuda Cabinet did not get any confidence of public opinion through
general election. This is why Prime Minister Fukuda should go for general
election at this time.
Contrary to this very reasonable logic insisted by DPJ and other opposition
fronts, two ruling fronts, LDP and Komeito Party do not agree with it at all.
They said it is not necessary for Fukuda to dissolve the the Lower House
regardless the censure motion. The law does not require that action.
While I observed such moves by ruling fronts, I was quite disappointed with
the reporting stance by mass media on this censure motion issues. Most of
mass media such as newspapers, TV and others rarely confirmed the assertion
made by DPJ and other opposition fronts. Most of them explained the
meaning of censure motion at the upper house as ruling fronts' leader
explained.Most said it is a kind of political performances Nobutataka
Machimura , Secretary of Fukuda Cabinet stated at news conference.
I am quite disappointed with such reaction by many mass media concerning censure
motion. Why do they admit more positive meaning of censure motion at this time?
Why don't they insist Prime Minister Fukuda and ruling fronts leaders should
accept more positive meaning of censure motion against Fukuda Cabinet. Is it
just a political performance of DPJ as Machimura said? I don't think so.
I am looking forward to seeing the reaction from general public now. I would
like to see more voice which requests early election of the lower house
and to see the lower supporting rate for Fukuda Cabinet that has been falling
down constantly in the past six months.
2008/6/14
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(583):
Serious concern for US policy on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that she expected
North Korea to soon provide a delayed account of its nuclear weapons
activities. In return, Washington may take the North off of its list of
terror-supporting nations. Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill visited
Japan on Thursday to explain this US policy. "The goal here is not just a
declaration. The goal is complete denuclearization," Hill said, urging
Pyongyang to fulfill its obligations." He indicated the possibility to
remove the North off of it list of terror-supporting nations in turn if the
North fulfill their obligations.
Japan has been cautious about taking North Korea on terrorism lists and wary
of donating aid. Government of Japan is concerned about keeping the pressure
on the North not only because of the nuclear issues but because of a series
of abductions of Japanese citizens by the North in the late 1970s and early
'80s that Tokyo claims have not been sufficiently explained or investigated.
Japan cannot agree with such US policy on North Korea removing their name
from terrorist lists just because of nuclear issues.
However overall reaction of Japanese Government against this US policy seemed
to be very weak. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called US Ambassador Thomas
Schieffer to his office on Friday and asked US not to take such measure
without basic solution of abduction cases in Japan by North Korea. Schieffer
did not clearly deny the possibility. I just wonder why Prime Minister Fukuda
do not talk directly to president Bush on this issue who seriously wish to
gain one diplomatic result on this the North issue during his administration.
Fukuda should talk to Bush asking which is more important for US, Japan or
North Korea. Fukuda should warn Bush that US action on removing the North
from the list of terrorists nations would provide serious damages to good
Japan US allied relation which has been established in the past 50 or 60
years.
The very weak stance of Fukuda cabinet on this issue is evidenced by the action
they took early this week. Japanese government eased some economic sanctions
against North Korea which have been imposed for several years for North Korea
did not exchange any communication concerning abduction cases. But in the
recent meeting made between Japan and North Korea in Beijing, North Korea
agreed to start making reinvestigation on abduction cases in their country.
Japanese Government eased some economic sanctions against North Korea
immediately without getting any concrete result. It was such a very weak
stance indeed.
In addition to this weak position of Japanese Government, Japanese mass media
are not quite positive expressing more serious concern on such US policy
and weak stance of Japanese Government on this issues, I have not seen any
editorial opinions of any major papers concerning this US policy on North
Korea.I am very sorry for that.
I believe that Japanese people have stronger stance and criticism against
such US policy and weak stance of Fukuda cabinet. Japanese people should be
brave enough for booing Bush when come along to Japan for summit meeting in
July provided that US took such action against the North as I worried about.
2008/6/21
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(584):
Taxi entertainment is not such a small issue
The government said Wednesday that 1,402 government employees accepted cash,
beer and other favors from taxi drivers while returning home on taxpayers' money
and 151 of them have been punished.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda appeared at news conference on this issue and said:
"Such word like 'taxi entertainment' does not sound good. It is a kind of bad
habits that should be stopped in all ministries at once." He spoke like
as if he is just like a commentator in TV news show. He is the man who is
responsible for supervising and controlling all civil servants in those
ministries.
The act is not just a bad custom but it is a crime itself from civil servant
laws. According to the code of ethical conduct for national service employees,
employees "are not allowed to be wined and dined or receive other forms of
favors beyond the norms deemed appropriate in line with social conventions,"
even if there are no vested interests or other conflicts involved. The receipt
of beer coupons from taxi drivers whenever they use taxi are obviously against
the code.
In the TBS Morning show on Wednesday, Monta Mino, moderator of the show
criticized the comment made by Prime Minister Fukuda. He said Fukuda should
be more serious about this happenings. He said acts by civil servants were
not only bad habits but a kind of crime as they were punished at this time.
Akira Nagatuma, lawmaker of Democratic Party of Japan at the Lower House ,
who was attending to the show as a commentator agreed with Monta Mino. He
continued to say that the change of power in Japanese politics is definitely
necessary now to remedy fundamental collusive relationship between political
world and bureaucratic world which existed for a long time. I quite agreed with
what Akira Nagatuma mentioned.
Ichita Yamamoto, lawmaker of Liberal Democratic Party of Japan at the Upper
House who was also attending the show denied Nagatuma's saying. He said :
"Nagatuma's assertion is an oversimplification of the logics and fact. The
matter was settled down very specifically by Fukuda Cabinet including the
punishment of the civil servants involved. Both Government and ruling parties
are taking necessary measures to those cases happened at this time. "
I disagreed with the comment made by Ichita Yamamoto. The taxi-entertainment
case happened at this time involves more serious issues as we have observed
the reaction of Prime Minister Fukuda at the news conference and such comments
made by the lawmaker of ruling parties.
I believe Nagatuma's assertion is quite right. I am now quite disappointed
to see very low level of reaction of people of this country on this issue.
I just wonder why Japanese mass media do not extend much harder critisicism
against Fukuda Cabinet on this issue.
2008/6/28
Tadashi HAYASE
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