Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–With key budget committee meetings at the Diet, Japan’s parliament, set to kick off soon, the fate of embattled agriculture minister Kazuo Yana will likely be the biggest focus. The Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday, while meetings of the Budget Committee of the Senate, the upper chamber previously called the House of Councillors, will take place Friday and Oct. 19. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, plans to retain Yana although he is under fire for his remarks that the road budgets were cut for municipalities whose mayors did not support him in the Lower House general election in February. The opposition side is poised to grill Takaichi and Yana over the remarks at the upcoming budget committee meetings, which will be attended by the prime minister and all of her cabinet ministers. Six opposition parties in the Senate, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, have agreed to consider submitting a censure motion against Yana. Opposition lawmakers, such as Democratic Reform Party policy chief Takayuki Ochiai and Komeito policy chief Hiromasa Nakano, both Lower House members, are slated to ask questions during the meetings. They are expected to argue that the municipal road budget cuts reflected pressure from Yana, while holding Takaichi responsible for appointing him to the ministerial post. Initially, the Democratic Reform Party planned to wait and see the public’s reaction to Yana’s remarks, apparently concerned about the possibility of being criticized for only focusing on lambasting the administration. On Wednesday, the Bunshun Online news website reported a new allegation that Yana’s camp had transported his supporters to the venue of a kickoff rally on a bus free of charge during the campaign period for the February Lower House election, an act possibly violating the public offices election law. The report changed the attitude of the Democratic Reform Party. Also, with opposition parties in the Senate banding together for a possible censure motion against Yana, a senior official of the Democratic Reform Party said that “we will mainly ask questions on the fate” of Yana at the budget committee meetings. On the committee meetings, Junya Ogawa, chief of the party, said at a press conference Friday: “Finding out what actually happened is our top priority. We plan to ask how (people concerned) would take political responsibility.” In question-and-answer meetings held for three days through Friday over Takaichi’s policy address at the Diet, Yana admitted to making the budget cut remarks, saying, “This was due to my own shortcomings.” He expressed his willingness to remain in his post, saying, “I will make utmost efforts to fulfill my duties.” Yana, however, is expected to face a tougher time at the budget committee meetings. “The prime minister would find that she can’t defend him any more if public support for her cabinet falls,” a middle-ranking LDP lawmaker in the Senate said. Six opposition parties in the Senate have agreed that they will refuse to ask Yana about his policy stance at the chamber’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee. They plan to make a final decision on whether to submit a censure motion against him after hearing what the agriculture minister has to say at the budget committee meetings. With the LDP and its ruling coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, lacking a majority in the Senate, CDP Diet affairs chief Yoshitaka Saito voiced confidence in passing the possible censure motion, saying, “I think that no opposition party would oppose.” Although the resolution would not be legally binding, Yana and Takaichi would likely face greater pressure if it is passed. Another focal point at the upcoming meetings will be a bill to cut the consumption tax rate for food to 1 pct from 8 pct for two years from fiscal 2027, which has been submitted to the current extraordinary Diet session by the government. As Takaichi avoided going into detail about financial resources for the tax cut and a planned new benefit program linked to income levels during the question-and-answer meetings, opposition parties plan to demand clear explanations from the prime minister. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
