Extra Diet Session Exposes Instability in Takaichi Administration

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The extraordinary Diet session, which concluded on Wednesday, exposed instability in the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October, while her cabinet maintained high approval ratings. During the session, Takaichi occasionally jeopardized her administration with her own remarks. At a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on Nov. 7, she said that China’s possible use of force against Taiwan could constitute a survival-threatening situation for Japan, allowing Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. This remark angered China and quickly deteriorated bilateral relations. It was not included in documents prepared in advance by bureaucrats for the prime minister. In a parliamentary debate among party leaders, Takaichi was asked by Yoshihiko Noda of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan about proposals to tighten rules on political donations by companies and organizations. However, she tried to change the subject, saying, “Instead of a thing like that,” which drew the ire of opposition parties. The prime minister took the stance of speaking in her own words after meticulously reviewing documents prepared by bureaucrats for answers to questions in the Diet. On the other hand, she is believed to have not coordinated sufficiently with executives of her Liberal Democratic Party. She only had one dinner meeting with party executives during the Diet session. “The prime minister doesn’t understand Diet affairs at all,” a senior LDP official complained. The LDP and its new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai), had a tense relationship over the issue of reducing the number of Lower House seats. The JIP pushed for a seat reduction while threatening to leave the ruling coalition and calling for an extension of the Diet session. However, the LDP showed little commitment, as many in the party were cautious. The two parties began holding regular meetings between their executives, but this initiative was far from fully effective. According to informed sources, Takaichi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of the western prefecture of Osaka, rarely held phone talks. Yoshimura reportedly refrained from calling, citing the prime minister’s busy schedule. As the JIP joined the LDP-led ruling bloc only in October, it has not yet developed sufficient connections with the LDP. In negotiations with the LDP, the JIP has relied heavily on Takashi Endo, its Diet affairs chief and also special adviser to the prime minister. “We need to hurry to strengthen our communication channels with the LDP,” a senior JIP official said. A ruling party official said that the Takaichi cabinet’s high approval ratings reflect expectations rather than achievements, and warned that support could dwindle if the government does not produce results. Next year, the prime minister is expected to carefully consider when to dissolve the Lower House for a general election while working to implement measures to tackle inflation. Opposition parties adopted different strategies in the just-concluded Diet session. The Democratic Party for the People voted in favor of the government’s supplementary budget for fiscal 2025, prioritizing the realization of its policies. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki expressed satisfaction with its cooperative approach, saying that he had been communicating effectively with the prime minister. The DPFP and the LDP are in the final stretch of their talks on the opposition party’s proposal to raise the taxable income threshold. If they reach an agreement, the DPFP may vote for the government’s budget bill for fiscal 2026. Some in the LDP hope that the DPFP, which supports Takaichi’s proactive fiscal policy, will join the ruling bloc and stabilize her administration. Komeito, which had been the LDP’s coalition partner for many years until Takaichi became LDP president, submitted a motion with the CDP to revise the government’s supplementary budget bill, but eventually voted in support of the bill. “We can’t fully be an opposition party,” a senior Komeito official admitted. “We can’t shake off the sense of being part of the ruling bloc.” The CDP believes that it led the opposition camp in blocking the Lower House seat cut bill and achieving the abolition of the provisional gasoline tax surcharge. “The Takaichi administration is risky,” CDP leader Noda told reporters on Wednesday. “We want to show that we will properly face off against (the administration) next year.” However, some in the CDP doubt Noda’s resolve to fight for a change in government. Last Friday, Noda announced that his party would not submit a no-confidence motion against the Takaichi cabinet during the extraordinary session. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]