Diet convenes amid growing pressure on Kan
PTI | 03:07 PM,Jul 31,2010Tokyo, Jul 31 (Kyodo) The Diet has convened with opposition parties set to increase pressure on the ruling coalition led by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan following loss of its upper house majority in the recent election. During the extraordinary parliamentary session through Aug 6, Kan will engage in full debates for the first time since he took office last month following the sudden resignation by his predecessor Yukio Hatoyama. Kan and his Democratic Party of Japan do not want excessive confrontation with the opposition camp to avoid policy gridlock in the "twisted Diet" -- in which opposition parties control the upper house and the ruling coalition the lower house. Still, the DPJ, which swept to power last summer, has the largest number of seats in the upper house. Takeo Nishioka, a senior DPJ lawmaker, was selected as the new president of the House of Councillors during the plenary session to replace Satsuki Eda. But the vice president and administration panel chief, who play a pivotal role in organizing debate schedules, came from the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, the second-largest power in the house. Hidehisa Otsuji, who heads the LDP caucus in the upper house, was selected as vice president and Seiji Suzuki, the LDP Diet affairs chief in the chamber, became head of the committee. Some opposition lawmakers have urged the DPJ to give up the president's post after the ruling bloc lost its upper house majority. But the DPJ reached a compromise in the final phase of talks with the LDP by giving some other key positions to the opposition camp. (Kyodo) DBP
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