DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 01/15/08

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 000116 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 01/15/08 INDEX: (1) MSDF getting ready at high pitch for refueling mission (Yomiuri) (2) New refueling support legislation enacted; Government speeding up preparations for resuming operation (Asahi) (3) Iwakuni mayoral election following resignation of mayor opposed transfer of U.S. carrier aircraft: Ruling parties making desperate effort, putting USFJ reorganization on line; LDP candidate lacks name recognition (Tokyo Shimbun) (4) Long-term strategy essential for Japan's international contributions in personnel (Nikkei) (5) Real international contribution cannot be seen: Government unable to forget trauma of the Gulf war (Asahi) (6) DPJ puts off "decisive battle with ruling coalition," fails to take advantage of opposition's majority in Upper House (Mainichi) ARTICLES: (1) MSDF getting ready at high pitch for refueling mission YOMIURI (Page 3) (Full) January 12, 2008 Now that the Diet has enacted a new antiterrorism special measures law, the government is preparing at a high pitch to send a Maritime Self-Defense Force squadron back to the Indian Ocean on a refueling mission. It is now over two months since the MSDF pulled out. Tensions remain high in the Indian Ocean and its periphery. The war on terror is expected to be a long battle. However, the law is not expected to be extended in a year. The Diet is still likely to be in turmoil over the MSDF's refueling mission. Prime Minister Fukuda said with a smile on the evening of Jan. 11: "I think that the Diet discussed this matter for a total of about 80 hours in both houses. I also participated in the Diet deliberations for about 30 hours. I believe that we've held enough discussions." After the new antiterrorism special measures law was enacted, Defense Minister Ishiba ordered the Joint Staff Office chief and the Maritime Self-Defense Force chief of staff to prepare the MSDF to resume refueling activities. On Jan. 16, the government will call an ad hoc cabinet meeting to adopt a masterplan for MSDF activities under the law. The MSDF will dispatch two vessels to the Indian Ocean. One of the two MSDF ships is the Oumi, a supply ship based at Sasebo, and the other is the Murasame, a destroyer based at Yokosuka. "We normally need three weeks," an MSDF staff office says. "But," the MSDF officer added, "we will get ready in about two weeks." The two MSDF vessels are expected to leave Japan on Jan. 24 for the Indian Ocean in order to resume refueling activities there in mid-February. According to the masterplan, the MSDF is to send a total crew of no more than 500. However, the two ships will have a total of some 300 personnel onboard. They will stay in the Indian Ocean until the end of June. Ahead of the scheduled dispatch, the MSDF will send two TOKYO 00000116 002 OF 011 liaison officers to the Bahrain-based headquarters of multinational naval forces. In November last year, the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law expired. Under that law, the MSDF was engaged in refueling activities in the Indian Ocean for about six years from December ¶2001. During that time, the MSDF carried out a total of 794 fuel supplies for naval vessels from 11 countries and provided them with a total of approximately 490,000 kiloliters. Under the newly enacted law, the MSDF will conduct refueling activities for naval vessels from six countries engaged in maritime interdiction operations in the Indian Ocean, including the United States, Britain, France, and Pakistan. The MSDF, under the new law, is expected to be tasked with refueling activities as well as under the now-expired law. "The MSDF's withdrawal affected other countries," says a senior Foreign Ministry official. In particular, Pakistani naval ships depended on MSDF fuel supplies. They often returned to ports in Pakistan for fuel. The Pakistani government asked Japan to come back at an early date, saying the efficiency of their operations was down 40 PERCENT . French ships also became less efficient in their operations because they had to take 36 to 48 hours on average for receiving fuel at ports in coastal countries, according to the Foreign Ministry official. What is serious to Japan is its lack of information, resulting from its sending of no liaison officers to the headquarters in Bahrain. After the MSDF's pullout from the Indian Ocean, there were some scenes where tensions ran high. In Pakistan, there were riots. In addition, Iranian boats provoked U.S. Navy ships in the Straits of Hormuz, which is situated at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Japan has posted no liaison officers to the headquarters in Bahrain. This is why Japan has had almost no real-time information and could not take any quick action, a government source says. Foreign Ministry officials, as well as Defense Ministry officials, point out a merit of the new antiterrorism law. They say Japan will be able to obtain information about security situations in the Middle East and South Asia by sending liaison officers to the headquarters. Japan to exchange notes for no fuel diversion In the Indian Ocean, the MSDF provided fuel to vessels from multinational forces for their maritime interdiction operations (MIO). However, MSDF-supplied fuel was alleged to have been used for military operations in Iraq. This alleged fuel diversion was taken up in Diet deliberations. The Defense Ministry therefore intends to prevent fuel diversion in resuming the MSDF's refueling activities. To begin with, the Defense Ministry will coordinate even more strictly at the Bahrain-based headquarters of multinational forces engaged in MIO. The MSDF used to make oral checks on how much fuel its supply ship provided and what refueled ships were doing on their respective missions. From now on, however, the Defense Ministry will format a database to keep records. When providing fuel to foreign supply ships, the MSDF will ask these foreign supply ships to specify the names of vessels to be TOKYO 00000116 003 OF 011 refueled. The Defense Ministry will also create a mechanism for the case where the possibility of fuel diversion cannot be ruled out. In this case, the defense minister, not the MSDF liaison officers, will decide on whether to provide fuel. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry will exchange official notes with the countries concerned in order to prevent fuel diversion. This exchange of note specifies that their naval vessels receiving MSDF fuel are engaged in maritime interdiction operations and that the MSDF will carry out refueling services in order to help them with their maritime interdiction operations. The question, however, is the perfect prevention of fuel diversion is feasible. "We have no choice but to believe their declaration," a government source says. The government will actually forgo after-refueling checks. Meanwhile, the new antiterrorism law is temporary legislation with a one-year time limit. Accordingly, the government will need to extend the law within this year in order for Japan to continue the MSDF mission after the law's expiry. Otherwise, the government will need to pave the way to permanent legislation allowing Japan to send the Self-Defense Forces for overseas missions. The LDP had initially planned to create a law with a two-year time limit. However, New Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, insisted that the legislation should be limited to one year from the perspective of civilian control because it does not require the government to ask the Diet for its prior approval of MSDF activities. The LDP accepted New Komeito's assertion. Some LDP lawmakers, however, are voicing concerns about the case where the MSDF will be driven to pull out again in a year. "We were in a hurry," an LDP lawmaker said. "But," this ruling lawmaker added, "we should have set the time limit at two years for steady activities." (2) New refueling support legislation enacted; Government speeding up preparations for resuming operation ASAHI (Page 4) (Abridged slightly) January 12, 2008 Extra efforts for preventing Japanese oil being used for other purposes The government-sponsored refueling support bill allowing the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume its refueling operation in the Indian Ocean cleared the Diet with its re-adoption in a House of Representatives plenary session on Jan. 11. The government will now step up its preparations for resuming SDF activities in mid-February. Procedures for redeploying MSDF personnel and coordination with concerned countries are already underway. The United States, Pakistan and other relevant countries have also released statements welcoming Japan's step to resume MSDF activities. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the afternoon of Jan. 11 issued orders to the Joint Staff Chief of Staff, MSDF Chief of Staff and others to make preparations, such as selecting personnel for the dispatch. TOKYO 00000116 004 OF 011 Expressing his eagerness to resume the refueling operation at the earliest possible time, Ishiba in a press conference revealed a plan to dispatch the supply ship Oumi and the destroyer Murasame from the MSDF Yokosuka base. It is projected that making preparations for the departure will take a couple of weeks and the cruise from Japan to waters in the Indian Ocean for activities will take additional three weeks. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) is planning to send a group of some 300-400 MSDF personnel, about the same size as that sent under the expired Antiterrorism Special Measures Law. The government intends to adopt at a cabinet meeting next week an implementation plan specifying the size of the MSDF unit and the duration of the operation. The personnel are expected to stay in the Indian Ocean until the end of June. Under the new law, the duration can be re-extended until the legislation expires next January. Once the implementation plan is adopted by the cabinet meeting, MOD will draw up operational plans, such as specific areas of activities. This will be followed by Defense Minister Ishiba's order for the SDF dispatch based on Prime Minister Fukuda's approval. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry will begin work to exchange notes specifying conditions for free-of-charge refueling support with such countries as the United States and Britain. Under the old law, allegations surfaced that Japanese oil had been diverted for use other than Operation Enduring Freedom. Leaning a bitter lesson from this, the government plans to ask other countries once again not to use Japanese fuel for other purposes. "It's vital that everyone sticks to this rule," Foreign Minister Koumura said in a press conference yesterday afternoon. As a step to prevent diversion, the MSDF plans to record the action plans of the ships that would receive Japanese oil. The MSDF will continue refueling the oiler that raised suspicions, as necessary. Ishiba revealed a plan to check indirect refueling as well, saying: "The MSDF will refuel foreign supply ships. We would like to get a handle on how Japanese oil is eventually used." Concerned countries release welcoming statements Manabu Kitagawa, Islamabad Foreign Ministry spokesman Sadiq of Pakistan, the only Islamic country taking part in the U.S.-led operation to interdict the transport of weapons and drugs in the Indian Ocean, stated on Jan. 11: "We welcome Japan's step to resume its refueling operation. We would like to continue cooperating on the war on terror." The Pakistani Navy has deployed 200 troops and a naval vessel carrying helicopters to the Indian Ocean on a permanent basis. Before the MSDF's withdrawal from the Indian Ocean last November, the Japanese government had insisted that Japan's withdrawal would hamper the naval operations, citing the Pakistani vessel's need for high-octane gasoline. But the Pakistani spokesman indicated that the suspension did not adversely affect the operations because the U.S. Navy has operated an alternate supply ship. For Pakistan, which is on the front line of the war on terror, antiterrorism measures are more vital than conducting maritime operations. Former President Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in late TOKYO 00000116 005 OF 011 last December. What appeared to be a suicide attack on Jan. 10 on Pakistani police in Lahore killed 26 individuals. According to a research institute in Pakistan, 1,306 terrorist attacks occurred in 2007, compared to 657 in 2006. Ambassador to Japan Haron Amin of Afghanistan, a beneficiary of the maritime interdiction operations, released a statement saying: "Japan's step will send a powerful message bringing hope to the international community and Afghan people combating terrorism." But the Afghan public has little interest in the resumption of the MSDF's refueling operation. They are focused on the threat of the Taliban, the national enemy. An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman described the year 2007 as the bloodiest year since the Karzai administration was launched. Battles and terrorist attacks killed 145 Afghan solders, 235 foreign servicemen, and over 800 police officers. Afghan Presidential Office spokesman Herawi strongly called for Japan's support in military and police equipment as well as for its participation in the military-civilian provincial reconstruction team run by NATO, saying: "We would like to ask for more effective antiterrorism measures by Japan." U.S. also expresses hope Yoichi Kato, Washington U.S. State Department Japanese Affairs Director James Zumwalt welcomed the enactment of the new antiterrorism legislation on Jan. 10 (Jan. 11, Japan),saying: "The U.S. government is hoping that Japan will again be able to contribute to (activities) by the coalition of the willing." Zumwalt also noted about Japan's refueling operation: "It is extremely vital in the war on terror. We truly welcome Japan's support." He also simply indicated that it was too premature to tell what effects the suspended refueling operation would result in. Meanwhile, President Ralph Cossa of Pacific Forum, a U.S. think tank, indicated that it would not harm the U.S.-Japan alliance, saying: "There is no one in the U.S. government who blames the Japanese government for the suspended refueling operation." DPJ's Oe walks out of session before taking vote House of Councillors member Yasuhiro Oe of the major opposition Democratic Party of Japan walked out of the Upper House plenary session on Jan. 11 before the refueling legislation was put to a vote. Oe is also opposed to abolishing the current provisional tariff on the special resources for building and improving road. After the plenary session, Oe explained: "I have repeatedly indicated that international cooperation is necessary. I made the extremely difficult decision." (3) Iwakuni mayoral election following resignation of mayor opposed transfer of U.S. carrier aircraft: Ruling parties making desperate effort, putting USFJ reorganization on line; LDP candidate lacks name recognition TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) January 15, 2008 TOKYO 00000116 006 OF 011 The mayoral election in Iwakuni (Yamaguchi Prefecture) -- a city in commotion over the transfer of U.S. carrier-based aircraft to a local base as part of the reorganization of U.S. forces stationed in Japan (USFJ) -- is expected to be officially announced on Feb. 3 and take place on Feb. 10. The election follows the resignation of Mayor Katsusuke Ihara, who was opposed to the transfer, after a confrontation with the city assembly. Ihara and Lower House member Yoshihiko Fukuda of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),who is in favor of the transfer, have declared their candidacies. The LDP, however, is harboring a sense of crisis that a delay in the aircraft transfer would adversely affect the Japan-US alliance. Ihara in 2006 proposed and then held a local referendum to call into question the propriety of transferring the U.S. jets from Atsugi Naval Air Station to Iwakuni Air Station. Nearly 90 PERCENT of the voters opposed the transfer. Getting a boost from the election result, Ihara defeated his rival candidate, who was in favor of the transfer, in a mayoral election held about a month later. The state then cancelled the allocation of about 3.5 billion yen as a subsidy for the construction of a city hall. Ihara countered by submitting a budget bill featuring the issuance of special exemption bonds instead of depending on a subsidy. However, the Assembly repeatedly voted down the bill. Ihara stepped down on Dec. 28 only to declare his candidacy on Jan. 4 for a mayoral election. He is staging an election campaign to once again challenge the acceptance of USFJ realignment. Fukuda comes from Iwakuni City. After serving as an assembly member of the city and a Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly member, he was elected for the first time in the Lower House election in Sept. ¶2005. Diet members elected from local constituencies support Fukuda. However, since Ihara's name recognition is high, senior officials of the LDP campaign headquarters are bracing themselves, with one saying, "We are going to have a tough battle." Since Ihara has neither sought recommendations nor support from any political party, the DPJ has opted for voluntary voting. Some local governments have shown understand toward Ihara for opposing the government's approach of pressing ahead with USFJ realignment by using a carrot-and-stick strategy. The by-election in the Lower House Yamaguchi No. 2 constituency following Fukuda's declaration to run in the Iwakuni mayoral election is also drawing attention. That is because it is the first national election after the inauguration of the Fukuda administration. It is also characterized as a preliminary skirmish to the next Lower House election. The DPJ has already decided to field Hideo Hiraoka, who ran in the 2005 Lower House election from the Yamaguchi No. 2 constituency and was elected in the proportional representation system. The ruling parties are now selecting a candidate. Names, such as Upper House member Yoshimasa Hayashi elected from Yamaguchi Prefecture, have been floated. However, if Hayashi runs, a by-election for an Upper House seat has to be held. In that case, selecting a candidate will likely be fraught with difficulty. TOKYO 00000116 007 OF 011 The LDP intends to do its utmost for the mayoral election for the time being with one senior member of the campaign headquarters saying, "We must first deal with the mayoral election. The Lower House by-election is something to be tackled after that." (4) Long-term strategy essential for Japan's international contributions in personnel NIKKEI (Page 1) (Slightly abridged) January 12, 2008 Hiroyuki Akita Japan will soon resume its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, finally making a fresh start in its international contribution (to the war on terror) after a brief hiatus. But this is just a start, and Japan must not slacken its international efforts. Prime Minister Fukuda's mixed feelings Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda displayed no sense of elation, knowing full well that the resumption cannot be called progress. According to one of his aides, the prime minister after making his first trip to the United States last November began seriously concerned about how the divided Diet -- where the ruling bloc controls the Lower House and the opposition dominates -- is affecting Japan's international relations. "My visits to the U.S. and Asian countries have made me acutely realize the high hopes those countries have for Japan," Fukuda said during a meeting held at the beginning of the year of the three major economic organizations. His comment gave a glimpse of his inner feelings. In the 1991 Gulf war, although Japan contributed $13 billion to cover war expenses (of the multinational forces),it came under a shower of criticism as a country that "thinks everything can be solved by throwing money at it." Learning a lesson from that experience, Japan sent supply ships and Aegis vessels to the Indian Ocean following the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Japan also dispatched Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to Iraq, where civil war still continues, becoming fully engaged in human contributions. Three and a half months have passed since the launching of the Fukuda administration. What Japan should discuss now is a long-term strategy that would illustrate how best to use the SDF and contribute personnel to international efforts to bring peace and stability to the world. In the lopsided Diet, the many hours of debate were mostly focused on the opposition camp's pursuing its suspicion that the fuel supplied by Japan to other countries' vessels (in the Indian Ocean) might have been consumed for purposes other than the Afghan war. As a result, no in-depth, solid debate on national security ever took place. The next session of the Diet will likely focus on the question of permanent legislation for the overseas dispatch of the SDF, but if the Diet turns out to be an arena for political strife, Japan will find its international status sinking even lower. Japan's international involvement continues to shrink. The number of personnel Japan has sent to United Nations-led peacekeeping TOKYO 00000116 008 OF 011 operations (PKOs) in the Golan Heights, Nepal, and other locations has totaled only 53. At one point Japan's budget for official development assistance (ODA) was number one in the world, but ODA has been cut some 40 PERCENT over the past decade as of fiscal ¶2007. One country's international involvement is linked to its presence in the world. China in this context is making a strategic move. China's participation in UN-related peace-keeping operation (PKOs) has sharply expanded since 2000, and the number of Chinese participating in PKOs has reached 1,820, or 34 times Japan's. Speaking of this increase, a Chinese government official explained: "We are contributing to the world because we would like other countries to have a good image of China." But the countries to which China has sent its personnel include Sudan and Congo, which produce such natural resources as oil and rare metals. China is apparently trying to build close ties with natural resources-producing countries in preparation for a future shortage of energy. Japan-U.S. alliance gradually strained Japan's setback in its international contributions is also straining its alliance with the U.S., the cornerstone of its national security. "Which is the more responsible country, Japan or China? If this question crops up in the U.S. government, I have no choice but to answer 'It's China,'" said a U.S. government official in speaking of China's sudden increase in the number of personnel who take part in PKO's when he visited Japan last year. The official explained how severe the mood in Washington toward Japan was. His comment was taken as advice to Japan, which now tends to be inward-looking. However, it is incorrect to simply conclude that Japan should increase the number of the SDF personnel to be dispatched or just expand its ODA budget. Unless the government demonstrates how Japan's international contributions are linked to its national interests, the public's support for such contributions will not last long, given that tax money and Japanese personnel are involved in them. Canada's way of life, a country next door to the U.S. and deeply interdependent with it, may be a good hint for Japan. Canada refused to send its troops to the Vietnam War and the Iraq war that started in 2003. Instead, it dispatched 2,500 troops to Afghanistan. Despite the subsequent loss of 70 or more lives, Canada continues to station troops in Afghanistan. A Canadian government official commented: "The U.S. was displeased with Canada's refusal to send troops to Iraq, but it accepted Canada's choice of focusing its energies on Afghanistan. Proactive participation in PKO broaden the choices when it comes to security relations with the U.S." Japan hosts this year's Group of Eight (G8) summit conference (at Lake Toya, Hokkaido). The summit will focus on environmental issues. How far can Japan display its leadership there? In the upcoming ordinary session of the Diet that is to open on Jan. 18, Japan needs to fully discuss what it can contribute to the international community. TOKYO 00000116 009 OF 011 (5) Real international contribution cannot be seen: Government unable to forget trauma of the Gulf war ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) January 12, 2008 Former Prime Minister Abe made a remark that could be taken to mean that he would step down if the Maritime Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) refueling mission in the Indian Ocean had not been resumed. Prime Minister Fukuda also had to unusually use the ruling coalition's two-thirds Lower House overriding vote in order to resume the refueling mission. What on earth was the refueling mission? In explaining why the resumption of the refueling mission is necessary, the prime minister only took foreign countries' point of view into consideration, such as that "The way other countries look at Japan may change unless Japan resumes the operation. It is absolutely necessary for Japan to resume it." In the Diet debate conducted for about three months, no clear account was given on how the refueling mission will lead to eradicating terrorism. In discussions on Japan's international contribution, the so-called Gulf trauma is often referred to. In the Gulf War in 1991, the Japanese government offered 13 billion dollars in financial aid, but the Kuwait, a party concerned, did not appreciate it after the end of the war. Some government officers still remember this bitter experience. They apparently believe that international contribution is not offering money but putting out efforts, that is, the dispatch of Self-Defense Force (SDF),setting aside the essential question of what real international contribution is. The MSDF refueled war vessels from member countries of the multinational force in the Indian Ocean over the past six years. This service, for which Japan used 22 billion yen in government money, was ridiculed as a free gas station on the sea. Foreign Minister Koumura said: "Japan has disbursed as much as 140 billion yen (to assist civilians),the second largest amount in the world," but it is questionable to what extent Japan's operation was known. The ambassador of a country concerned confessed: "Before I came to Japan, I had not known about Japan' refueling operation." The antiterrorism law was enacted, but since the law is valid only for one year, the government and the ruling coalition focus on permanent legislation to enable the dispatch of SDF troops overseas. They want to start a discussion on the legislation in the ordinary Diet session to start on Jan. 18, in a bid to launch policy talks with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Between the government and DPJ President Ozawa, though, there is a wide perception gap. Ozawa sets forth the adoption of a resolution at a UN Security Council meeting or a UN general assembly as the precondition for dispatching the SDF under a permanent law, but the government and the ruling camp assume rear support for the multilateral force. It is essential to consider how to obtain public consensus on standards for SDF dispatch overseas, but even in about 80 hours of deliberations on the new antiterrorism bill in both chambers, no clear course for that was worked out. (6) DPJ puts off "decisive battle with ruling coalition," fails to TOKYO 00000116 010 OF 011 take advantage of opposition's majority in Upper House MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) January 12, 2008 The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) forwent the submission of a censure motion against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and the party did not take resort to physical resistance on the Diet floor. Although the surface reason is that the DPJ adopted a strategy of preparing for "a decisive battle in the spring," the real reason is that there was discord in the party itself over such basic tactics as how its Lower House members should cast their ballot. As a result, the DPJ's credentials to run a government have come into question. There is a view in the ruling coalition that the DPJ has just forgone the fight for the time being. Like the Prime Minister, the DPJ's intrinsic value will be questioned in fierce battles over bills related to the state budget for fiscal 2008. DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka on the morning of Jan. 11 phoned Keiko Itokazu, independent Upper House member, and told her: "I want you to leave the plenary session when the vote-taking is started without casting you ballot against the DPJ's bill." At the plenary Upper House session held soon after Yamaoka called Itokazu, the DPJ-drafted bill was approved by a slim margin of two votes owing to Yamaoka's effort to persuade her. It is also come to light that the opposition camp controls the Upper House by a small margin. The DPJ aims to turn up the heat on the ruling coalition with such issues as policy for the daily lives of people and the issue of maintaining the provisional gasoline tax and the pension-records mess. Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama stated in a press conference on SIPDIS Jan. 11: "We will use (a censure motion against the prime minister) regarding issues directly linked to the daily lives of people. In that sense, using a censure motion regarding provisional tariff (for tax revenues for road projects) is the easiest for the public to understand. The opposition parties will move closely together to force the Prime Minister to dissolve the Lower House." However, the People's New Party favors maintaining of the provisional gasoline tax. The Social Democratic Party also has yet to make its position clear. Due to its lack of efforts to lay the groundwork for other opposition parties, the DPJ failed to put off voting on the antiterrorism special measures bill instead of voting it down. There is now a weak-spiritedness in the party about what will happen next. In order to win the decisive battle when it comes, it is indispensable for the DPJ to overcome the weak points that let other opposition parties' intentions undercut its own strategy. Japanese Communist Party Chairman Kazuo Shii criticized DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's abstention from voting in the Lower House on the new antiterrorism bill, noting: "As the leader of the largest opposition party, he has been irresponsible." SDP Secretary General Yasumasa Shigeno also pointed out: "It is not good that he was not in the session at the significant moment." Ozawa's abstention from TOKYO 00000116 011 OF 011 voting may not only strengthen public doubts in his capability of assuming the political reins but also become a factor to destroy the solidarity of the opposition camp. DONOVAN