Japan Press Weekly

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2007 October 31 - November 6 [POLITICS]

Prime Minister Fukuda proposes to DPJ President Ozawa to form coalition

Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo and Democratic Party President Ozawa Ichiro on November 2 held their second round of talks in which Fukuda proposed to Ozawa to hold consultations on forming a coalition government.

Ozawa took the question back to his party but answered in the negative because most of the DPJ executives expressed opposition to even holding consultations on mutually agreeable policies, he later said.

Fukuda and Ozawa also discussed an idea to enact a permanent law to allow the government to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces abroad at any time. Fukuda suggested that such a law be based on the principle that the SDF can take part in overseas activities authorized by the United Nations or its resolutions, expressing his willingness to support Ozawa’s idea.

Ozawa reportedly answered that the DPJ can cooperate with the ruling block to get the new anti-terrorism special measures bill enacted in the current Diet session on condition that such a permanent law will be established.

Commenting on the talks between Prime Minister Fukuda and DPJ President Ozawa, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a press conference on the same day said as follows:

I think that the public is stunned by their unexpected talks on forming a coalition government. The DPJ campaigned in the July House of Councilors election hoisting the “anti-Liberal Democratic and Komei parties” banner while the LDP severely criticized the DPJ during its campaign. How can these two parties come up with an idea of teaming up? What was the process in which such an idea emerged? Why did Mr. Ozawa take the proposal back to his party for further consideration? Both the LDP and DPJ have to provide explanations about those questions to the public.

This situation shows that the LDP is desperate. Reaching a deadlock in its capacity to run the government, the ruling party has given up having discussions and expressing opinions in the Diet and started attempting to make deals behind closed doors.

Mr. Ozawa in the talks reportedly said that the DPJ would work with the LDP for the enactment of the new anti-terrorism special measures bill if the ruling parties consider adopting a permanent law to dispatch the SDF abroad. He has said that the new bill is unconstitutional and thus he is absolutely opposed to it. Why does the consideration of the permanent law set the condition for him to approve the new special measures bill? His argument is completely illogical.