Updated at 21:15(JST) Nov. 26A political battle is intensifying over the new anti-terror bill to resume Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
Debate is set to begin this week in the opposition-controlled Upper House.
But the opposition camp says it will be difficult to take a vote on the bill during the ongoing session.The previous anti-terror law authorizing the refueling mission for US-led anti-terror operations in Afghanistan expired on November 1.
The bill to restart the mission by the Self-Defense Forces passed the Lower House early this month. It has moved to the Upper House for deliberations scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The government and ruling coalition parties want to enact the bill during the current session of parliament which is due to end on December 15.
But when the bill can be voted on, is not certain.
In an Upper House committee, opposition parties are insisting that a scandal involving the Defense Ministry and a defense company need to be dealt with first.
The leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party Ichiro Ozawa said on Sunday that it will be difficult to agree to take a vote on the bill during the current session.
Mr Ozawa said the ruling Liberal Democratic Party wasted time on holding a leadership election in September to choose the successor to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after his abrupt resignation.
On Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura criticized Mr Ozawa, and called for quick debate.
Machimura: "Mr Ozawa says that the time for debate is too short. I want him to consider as DPJ leader whether his attitude meets public expectations."
Within the government and ruling parties, there are increasing calls for extending the parliamentary session again.
They say the extension is needed to enact the bill in the Lower House by two-thirds majority if the upper chamber rejects it.
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