July 21, 2010

Seven opposition parties on July 20 agreed to demand that budget committee meetings be held at both the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors in the upcoming Extraordinary Diet session.

The Japanese Communist Party and other opposition parties have criticized the Kan Naoto Cabinet, which was inaugurated in early June, for refusing to hold discussions in budget committees though there are many pressing problems, including money scandals involving DPJ leaders, the U.S. Marines Futenma Air Station, and economic issues that needed to be thoroughly discussed.

In the meeting of opposition parties' Diet policy commission chiefs, Kokuta Keiji of the Japanese Communist Party pointed out that the ruling parties had broken their promise to hold budget committee meetings during the last Diet session. He said that the Kan Cabinet should be questioned about its irresponsible position in light of the public opinion expressed in the recent House of Councilors election.
- Akahata, July 21, 2010