Tokyo, 16 September, /AJMEDIA/
Candidates vying for the leadership of Japan’s main opposition party said various factors must be taken into account before the incoming prime minister decides whether to quickly go to the polls after winning control of the ruling party.
Yoshihiko Noda, a former prime minister from a party that preceded the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said that a budget committee needs to be held at an extraordinary Diet session before dissolving the House of Representatives for an election.
“Seeking a mandate so quickly is logic used by a person who is lacking the skill needed for debate,” Noda, one of the four leadership contenders, said on television ahead of the Sept 23 vote to determine the CDPJ head.
Yukio Edano, a former CDPJ leader who is hoping to regain the position, said instead of going straight to an election, the government should prioritize measures to cope with rising prices and respond to the powerful earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day.
While opposition parties are likely to perform better in a general election if the lower house is dissolved sooner rather than later, “There is no time for dissolution as the government needs to compile a supplementary budget by the end of this year,” Edano said.
Among candidates vying for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, a popular choice for prime minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, reiterated Sunday he will dissolve the lower house quickly if he is elected LDP chief.
The LDP’s presidential election will be held on Sept 27. The new leader is certain to become prime minister, likely on Oct. 1, as both houses of parliament are controlled by the LDP and its coalition partner, the Komeito party.
Current CDPJ leader Kenta Izumi called on the LDP and the government to hold a parliamentary session and realize policies to enhance the transparency of the use of political funds rather than dissolving the powerful chamber of parliament.
The leadership battle is expected to be fought out between Noda and Edano, with Izumi and the only female runner, Harumi Yoshida, considered outsiders.
