Although Prime Minister Kan survived non-confidence motion at the National Diet this afternoon, jointly submitted by the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, he will have to face a reality that two members of his party voted for the motion and that eighteen members including former DPJ Leader Mr. Ozawa abstained from voting.
A big question that has now surfaced is when Prime Minister Kan will resign. Within a month? Or, within a year? Over this issue, it seems so certain that the Democratic Party of Japan will soon start its internal strife as some of the members voted against the motion, on a condition that Prime Minister Kan would step down soon.
A number of those who were expected to vote for the motion had been reportedly reduced simply because he promised to step down once he saw some achievement in the on-going recovery works.
When the Kan cabinet was formed on June 8, 2010, Prime Minister Kan confidently named his Cabinet "The Cabinet of As Promised, So Delivered." A majority of voters has so far seen nothing but his blunders. Particularly those experiencing difficult situation in the areas damaged by quakes and tsunami, and those evacuees facing uncertainty over when to return back to their towns have been suffering most because of his incompetence to extend them much needed help in much faster speed.
As stated above, the only reason why the non-confidence motion was overwhelmingly disapproved at the lower house today is that Prime Minister Kan earlier announced at his party's meeting that he would step down in accordance with the agreement with former Prime Minister Hatoyama.
A memorandum between former PM Hatoyama and PM Kan states as follows;
1. Not to destroy the Democratic Party of Japan,
2. Not to let Japan slip back into ruling by the Liberal Democratic Party,
3. To assume responsibilities for rescue and recovery work now going on in the disaster-stricken areas until the following is achieved.
- Approval of the basic reconstruction bill stipulating a basic policy on reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the establishment of a reconstruction headquarters under the Cabinet
- To confirm if the second supplementary budget is properly processed at the earliest time possible.
As seen above, former Prime Minister Hatoyama brokered an agreement with Prime Minister Kan that he would resign soon after the second supplementary budget was properly processed at the earliest time possible. However, Prime Minister Kan suggested tonight that he would remain at the office of Prime Minister until he sees Fukushima Daiichi stabilized.
It seems certain that Japan’s political turmoil will last for some time until Prime Minister Kan is replaced by somebody willing to form a coalition government with the opposition party the Liberal Democratic Party, etc.
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