Ruling bloc pushes stopgap bill to maintain higher gas tax rate

   In defiance of strong objections from the opposition parties, the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties on January 29 submitted to the Diet a stopgap bill to extend for two more months the provisional law, which will expire at the end of March, in order to levy a higher gasoline tax rate.

   Furthermore, at a Rules and Administration Committee meeting on the same day, the ruling parties forcibly adopted a schedule to hold the House of Representatives plenary session on the next day to vote on the stopgap bill.

   The Japanese Communist Party and other opposition parties strongly protested against the submission of the bill and urged the ruling parties to withdraw it.

   The ruling parties are intending to forcibly enact the stopgap bill by using their two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, disregarding the deliberations on the bill in the House of Councilors. Such an extraordinary measure will help the ruling parties to not only avoid the expiration of the provisional higher gasoline tax rate, but also secure the forcible enactment of the main bills to extend the term of the provisional tax rate for 10 more years and allow the government to use the auto-related taxes only for road construction.

   In the talks held on the same day between the House of Representatives Speaker and secretary generals of the opposition parties, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi stated, “If a thorough discussion has taken place, the budget-related bills may be put to the vote. However, the ruling bloc has resorted to a measure to secure the enactment of the bills even before the Diet starts discussions on them. Such a measure will make discussions in the both Houses meaningless and tramples on parliamentary democracy. This is totally unacceptable.”

   At a press conference later in the day, Ichida said that the four opposition parties have agreed to continue to urge the ruling bloc to reconsider its move. Regarding budget-related bills, the opposition parties will propose to the ruling bloc that the ruling and opposition parties will make efforts to arrive at a decision within a limited time frame on condition that a thorough discussion, including public hearings, takes place, Ichida said.
- Akahata, January 30, 2008