Diet Discussion for Survival

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took questions from party leaders on the issues he is in charge at Committee on Budget in the House of Representatives on August 4th. It was the first opportunity for Ishiba, since a serious defeat in the Upper House election in July, to discuss the policies for which he needed some cooperation with the opposition parties. The opposition leaders focused on implementing their own policies rather than on putting pressure for Ishiba to step down. 

It is unusual for a committee in the Diet to have intensive discussion on policies in a short session right after an election in one of the two Houses. Although current extraordinary session was convoked for replacing the chairs and members of each committee in the Upper House, reflecting the result of election, the leading and opposition parties have agreed on having unusual discussion on some issues.

 

After the ordinary session was closed in late June, Ishiba administration reached a deal with the United States on tariffs, in which “reciprocal tariff” on products from Japan would be reduced from announced 25 percent to 15 percent. “This is a win-win relationship in which we create American jobs, without losing jobs in Japan, and deliver better products to the world through joint efforts in technology, labor and capital,” said Ishiba in the Committee on Budget of Lower House.

 

Japan has yet achieved written agreement with the U.S. on reduction of tariff on Japanese cars from 27.5 percent to 15 percent. The leader of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yoshihiko Noda, insisted that Ishiba administration would need a written agreement, because Japan-U.S. trade agreement in 2019, with a written agreement, was effectively voided by the first Trump administration.

 

Ishiba described Trump as a man who change the rules. “I am afraid of delay in activation of the tariff agreement by seeking a written agreement. To fucus on issuing an executive order for reduction of car tariff, which mostly affects our national interest, we decided not to have a written agreement,” Ishiba explained to Noda why he made a deal without an official document.

 

The head of Democratic Party for the People, Yuichiro Tamaki, recommended Ishiba having a summit talk with Trump to finalize car tariffs. Ishiba told that he had not have any telephone conversation with Trump after the tariff agreement. “I do not hesitate having a leaders’ meeting and hope to set that in a way contributing to our national interest,” said Ishiba.

 

Before the session of the Diet, the leading coalition agreed with four major opposition parties on abolishment of temporary gasoline tax by the end of this year. Ishiba admitted that he took an initiative for the agreement as president of the Liberal Democratic Party.

 

Noda asked how Ishiba would lead the discussion on reform of donation from companies to political parties. As Noda proposed one-on-one meeting with Ishiba to lead the discussion, Ishiba recognized necessity to discuss on how to preserve impartiality among the parties and to build a politics independent on money, accepting Noda’s proposal.

 

Through the discussion with opposition leaders, Ishiba accumulated policy agenda to address, including written agreement on car tariff, gasoline tax reduction or reform of political donation, to make them causes for him to stay as the prime minister. To a question from Tamaki on how long he would stay, Ishiba answered that it was not clear when he would be able to find a breakthrough in current “national crisis.”

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