Opposition parties propose vote of censure against cabinet members

In an effort to block the bill to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, opposition parties in the House of Councilors submitted a series of censure motions against Cabinet members on July 24.

The Japanese Communist, Democratic, Liberal, and Social Democratic parties closed ranks to scrap the bill by July 28, the last day of the present ordinary Diet session. They submitted censure motions against Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko, Defense Agency Director General Ishiba Shigeru, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuda Yasuo.

At a House of Councilors Plenary session, JCP member Hatano Kimie, in support of the censure motion against the foreign minister, criticized her for dancing to the U.S. tune by trying to forcibly enact the unconstitutional bill. (end)