Japan Opposition threatens to boycott budget debate

The mounting Opposition attacks come as Mori battles toretain support for his 10-month-old government ahead of Upper House elections in late July.

Vowing to hunt down the truth behind two recent scandals,the Opposition demanded several politicians from Mori’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) testify before parliament about their ties to KSD, an industrial insurer suspected of doling out huge bribes.

"We must have testimony by witnesses in parliament beforewe discuss the budget," Hirohisa Fujii, secretary-general of the Liberal Party, told NHK public television.

Democratic Party secretary general Naoto Kan echoed thatcall, saying he would press Mori to step down.

"The Mori government is not good for Japan and therefore wewant him to leave office as soon as possible," Kan said.

"Depending on the way the ruling camp handles the issue,the four Opposition parties will take joint action," he said, referring to a joint boycott of parliament.

Last October the Opposition was forced to abandon an18-day-old parliamentary boycott after failing to score points against Mori, who is one of Japan’s most unpopular Prime ministers ever.

The latest bribery accusations centre on small businessmutual aid insurer KSD that has sparked comparisons to the explosive 1988-89 Recruit shares-for-favours scandal that eventually cost Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita his job.

Several lawmakers from Mori’s ruling LDP have come underattack for their links to KSD, and last month Economics Minister Fukushiro Nukaga was forced to resign for taking contributions from the insurer.

BUDGET HELD HOSTAGE?

Ruling party politicians said the new 150-day parliamentarysession that opened last week should concentrate on debate and passage of the budget for the next fiscal year begining in April.

Opposition threats to boycott the budget debate would becounterproductive and hamper efforts to pull the fragile economy out of its worst downturn since World War Two, they argued.

"We must enact the budget by the end of March. Otherwise,people’s lives will be gravely affected," LDP secretary-general Koji Omi said.

"We do not want the Opposition to refuse to discuss thebudget."

In a policy speech to the opening session of parliamentlast week, Mori offered an apology for the scandals, saying he would do his utmost to regain public confidence in politicians.

Mori faces an uphill task after losing three cabinetmembers since he took office and being saddled with a reputation for verbal blunders and incompetence.

In addition to attacking the KSD scandal that hasthreatened to suck in yet more politicians, the Opposition said they would press Mori to take responsibility for a scandal involving a senior diplomat suspected of embezzling millions of dollars of secret funds to Finance his high living.

A Foreign Ministry report last month said the diplomat,Katsutoshi Matsuo, diverted at least 560 million yen ($4.84 million) in public funds to his own bank account. Of that, 310 million yen was unaccounted for and at least 54 million yen was used to buy four racehorses, some named after his mistress.

Kan suggested that other top Foreign Ministry officialscould be involved in the huge scam.