Japan opposition parties vow to enact gasoline tax cut

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said that opposition parties will start discussions on such legislation.

"It has become extremely important for opposition parties to cooperate," after the election showed that the Ishiba administration is not trusted by the people, Noda said at a meeting of senior CDP lawmakers.

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, said that his party will seek to enact a bill to cut the gasoline tax in a parliamentary session expected to start on Aug. 1.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), called for such a bill to be submitted to parliament at an early date.

Ishiba's ruling camp failed to maintain its majority in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, in Sunday's election.

In June, seven opposition parties submitted legislation to lower the gasoline tax. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, where the ruling bloc was a minority.

However, the bill was scrapped because the opposition parties failed to put it to a vote in the Upper House, which was controlled by the ruling coalition.

This time, there is the potential for such a bill to be enacted, given that the ruling bloc lost control of the Upper House as well.

CDP parliamentary affairs chief Hirofumi Ryu told his counterpart from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that such a bill may be submitted soon.

"I think Komeito will support a bill to cut the gasoline tax, Tamaki told a press conference on Tuesday, referring to the LDP's coalition partner. "It's difficult to oppose it given the election results."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]