Japanese Prime Minister faces first domestic challenge

image (1) — Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae speaks at a press conference in Tokyo. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)

This is considered the first real challenge on the domestic front for Ms. Takaichi since taking office as Japanese Prime Minister early last month.

According to a VNA correspondent in Tokyo, the issues of concern to the Japanese public are measures to deal with rising prices and ways to ensure financial resources to strengthen defense capabilities. In addition, the reform to reduce the number of seats in the National Diet, which is a key content in the coalition agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), also promises to become the focus of fierce confrontation in the parliament.

The question-and-answer session is scheduled to last until November 6 in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Yoshihiko Noda, President of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ), will open the session, followed by leaders of other parties. JIP co-chairman Fumitake Fujita will be questioned for the first time as a partner in the ruling coalition.

In a policy speech on October 24 before the Diet adjourned due to a busy diplomatic schedule, Prime Minister Takaichi announced his policy of “responsible proactive fiscal policy” and expressed openness to the opposition’s proposal to raise the taxable income threshold and tax refunds and subsidies for low-income earners.

The government and the ruling coalition are pushing ahead with a comprehensive economic package, but the opposition has strongly criticized that “there are currently no measures that can bring immediate results”, and wants the Prime Minister to make clearer commitments through debates in the National Assembly.

Along with that, the opposition will also question Prime Minister Takaichi about his commitment to US President Donald Trump to increase defense spending, especially explaining the financial resources to ensure this issue.

The issue of reducing the number of seats in parliament was a “precondition” that JIP set when joining the coalition. The LDP and JIP aimed to reduce the number of seats by 10% and submitted the bill in this session for approval. However, the subjects of the reduction were mainly proportional representation seats, which were strongly opposed by the opposition parties.

In addition, the issue of political funding within the LDP factions has not been resolved and is expected to be strongly questioned by the opposition. As for Mr. Kei Sato, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Senator of Nara region, belonging to the old “Abe faction”), the opposition is calling for him to not be allowed to participate in the work of the Upper House.

After the question-and-answer session, the debate will move to the Budget Committee, where the Prime Minister and ministers will be directly briefed. The House of Commons is scheduled for full questions on November 7, 10 and 11, while the Senate is scheduled for questions from November 12 to 14.

This will be the first test for Prime Minister Takaichi's administration on the domestic front, as the LDP-JIP coalition still does not have an absolute majority in both houses, while the Chairman of the Lower House Budget Committee is currently held by the CDPJ, not to mention that there are 10 ministers participating in questioning before the National Assembly for the first time.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/thu-tuong-nhat-ban-truoc-thu-thach-doi-noi-dau-tien-399661.html