CDPJ to Decide on No-Confidence Motion Next Week; Some Fear Such a Move Could Derail Tariff Talks
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda explains the party's campaign pledges for the House of Councillors election in the Diet on Tuesday.
Opinions are growing within the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan against submitting a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the time being, with CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda saying the party will decide whether to do so next week.
Behind such opinions is concern that submitting the motion amid the ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States could create a political vacuum, potentially shifting public criticism toward the CDPJ itself. Noda plans to make a final decision on the motion after considering his one-on-one debate with Ishiba in the Diet on Wednesday and the Japan-U.S. summit meeting to be held in connection with the Group of Seven summit scheduled for Sunday through Tuesday in Canada.
On Tuesday, Noda told reporters in Tokyo that his party would 'make a comprehensive decision at the appropriate time' regarding the no-confidence motion. At a subsequent press conference, he said the party will decide whether to submit a no-confidence motion 'next week.'
In the present circumstances of a minority government, a united opposition could pass a no-confidence motion, forcing the prime minister to choose between having his Cabinet resign en masse or dissolving the House of Representatives and thereby triggering a general election. The latter scenario raises the possibility of a 'double election,' with simultaneous lower house and House of Councillors elections in summer.
While some within the CDPJ favor a no-confidence motion as a way to to clearly demonstrate a confrontational stance against the government and ruling parties, voices arguing against it are also growing. Former CDPJ leader Yukio Edano said, 'Dissolving [the lower house] now would be highly problematic from the perspective of national interests.'
Should a dissolution create a political vacuum, it would inevitably stall crucial tariff negotiations that impact the domestic economy, potentially leading to a backlash against the CDPJ for spearheading the no-confidence motion. Furthermore, a double election would pose financial challenges for the CDPJ, with some candidly admitting that the party is in 'a tough financial situation.'
For the no-confidence motion to pass, the support of other opposition parties, such as the Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party for the People, is necessary. However, their stances remain uncertain. A senior CDPJ executive expressed concern, saying, 'They might oppose or abstain, pulling the ladder our from under us.'
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