11/23/2007THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa rejected Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's proposal Thursday to establish a forum to discuss permanent legislation for overseas dispatches of the Self-Defense Forces, social security and other policies.
The Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) chief also declined Fukuda's request for cooperation in passing a bill to resume Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for vessels taking part in U.S.-led anti-terrorism operations in and around Afghanistan.
Fukuda on Thursday also met separately with leaders of New Komeito, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, heads of the parties' Diet affairs committees, and secretaries-general also attended the meetings.
Fukuda held the meetings mainly to break the impasse in the Diet.
The meeting with Ozawa was the most important one for Fukuda, because Minshuto is now the largest party in the Upper House and, along with other opposition parties, has the strength to block the government's proposed legislation.
Fukuda sought the forum so that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Minshuto could find common ground on various issues.
But Ozawa was quoted as saying that the parties should hold debates in the Diet to hopefully reach agreements.
Ozawa also would not budge on the refueling bill, saying, "My stance that the refueling mission is against our Constitution has not changed."
The Maritime SDF's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean was suspended after the previous anti-terrorism special measures law expired on Nov. 1. With Fukuda's failure to win over Ozawa and other opposition party leaders on the new refueling bill, the government may send the legislation back to the Lower House.
A stipulation in the Constitution allows a bill rejected in the Upper House to become law if it is resubmitted to the Lower House and receives a two-thirds majority in favor of its passage.
The current Diet session has already been extended from the initial Nov. 10 close to Dec. 15. But the LDP and the government are considering extending the session again because debate on the refueling bill in the Upper House will not start until Nov. 28.
In addition, the constitutional stipulation says that if the Upper House fails to act upon legislation within 60 days of receiving it from the Lower House, the bill can be considered rejected by the upper chamber.
At that point, it can be resubmitted to the Lower House.
The ruling camp believes Minshuto plans to delay Upper House deliberations on the bill. So the ruling parties may re-extend the Diet session to at least mid-January, sources said.(IHT/Asahi: November 23,2007)
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