The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Tokyo

Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda could well suffer an embarrassing if non-binding censure in parliament's upper house next week, but for now the betting is he can keep his job at least for the rest of the year. Japan's main opposition Democratic Party is likely to submit the rare censure motion against Fukuda in the opposition-controlled upper house, where it would almost certainly pass, party sources said on Thursday. "At least in the view of party executives, this is definite," Kyodo news agency quoted a top party official as saying. "After that, it's a question of timing." Fukuda's ratings have slipped below 20 percent in some polls as he has struggled to cope with a divided parliament, where the opposition has taken every opportunity to delay key legislation. That has prompted talk that the ruling party may replace its leader after he hosts a Group of Eight summit in July. But Fukuda has brushed off talk of a censure motion, telling reporters on Wednesday in Rome, where he attended a world food summit, that it might be a frivolous step by the opposition. Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa has made clear he wants to force Fukuda to step down or call a snap lower house poll by fanning public dissatisfaction with the leader and frustration over the political stalemate that is stymieing government policy.

Democratic Party officials said a censure motion would take aim at Fukuda's introduction of a confusing national health insurance scheme that has outraged many elderly-long supporters of the ruling party-by forcing some aged 75 and over to pay more. The Democrats want to abolish the new system.

"Once this system took effect in April, the overwhelming view of the people has been that it is just too cruel," Democratic Party executive Naoto Kan told a news conference.

The insurance row came close on the heels of the ruling bloc's revival of a hefty and unpopular petrol tax used to fund roading projects that critics decried as wasteful.