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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 001707 
 
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 06/20/08 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Foreign Minister Koumura urges U.S. to continue to designate 
North Korea a terrorist-supporting state: "Removing sanctions on 
North Korea should be conditioned on start of reinvestigation of 
abduction issue" (Sankei) 
 
(2) Foreign Minister Koumura meets Hill, urges "strengthening the 
framework so that we speak with one voice" (Sankei) 
 
(3) U.S. declares it will take North Korea off nuclear blacklist; 
Pyongyang's nuclear declaration in final phase; Nuclear weapons 
unlikely to make declaration (Nikkei) 
 
(4) Abe, Yamasaki criticize each other (Asahi) 
 
(5) Editorial: U.S. Secretary of State Rice's unconvincing statement 
to delist North Korea (Sankei) 
 
(6) Postponed start-up of constitutional panels in both houses; 
"Illegality" impermissible (Yomiuri) 
 
(7) Probe into divided Diet - part 1: Unusual battle over gas tax; 
"Do not stop stopgap bill," Ozawa orders (Yomiuri) 
 
(8) Divided Diet (Part 3 - conclusion): Interview with Nobuo 
Ishihara and Jun Iio (Nikkei) 8 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Foreign Minister Koumura urges U.S. to continue to designate 
North Korea a terrorist-supporting state: "Removing sanctions on 
North Korea should be conditioned on start of reinvestigation of 
abduction issue" 
 
SANKEI (Internet edition) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Koumura, at a news conference this morning 
following a meeting of the cabinet, made this statement about the 
timing of removing partial sanctions that have been imposed on North 
Korea: "At this stage, all we have between Japan and the DPRK is an 
oral commitment. Once North Korea reinvestigates (the abduction 
victims) and the investigation turns up living persons who will be 
sent home (to Japan), that can be called real progress. We can at 
that point remove the sanctions." He thus expressed his view that 
the condition would be the start of a reinvestigation that was 
accompanied by substance. 
 
In addition, he noted: "However, if such is not the case, we could 
take a step backward." In case the reinvestigation by North Korea 
lacked honest contents, there could be a restoration of sanctions. 
On the standard of what would be considered a substantive 
reinvestigation, he pointed out, "The government will make that 
judgment." 
 
With regard to the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rice that 
the U.S. would begin procedures to remove North Korea from the list 
of states sponsoring terrorism once the North Koreans provide a 
nuclear report, he expressed his understanding, saying, "She said in 
her speech, 'If they want to be removed from the list, then they 
should properly report'. It doesn't mean that the U.S. stance has 
 
TOKYO 00001707  002 OF 010 
 
 
changed." 
 
On the other hand, the Foreign Minister pointed out, "Our stance is 
that Japan's card (of North Korea being on the designated list of 
terrorist-sponsoring states) will no longer be able to be used." He 
said he would clearly ask Secretary Rice, when she visited Kyoto 
June 26-27 for the G-8 foreign ministerial meeting, to continue to 
list North Korea. 
 
(2) Foreign Minister Koumura meets Hill, urges "strengthening the 
framework so that we speak with one voice" 
 
SANKEI (Internet edition) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
Foreign Minister Koumura this morning met at the Foreign Ministry 
with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Hill and Kim Sook, the 
director for peace negotiations for the Republic of Korea's Foreign 
and Trade Ministry. The three officials exchange views on how to 
strengthen the trilateral framework on North Korea nuclear issues 
and the resolution of the abduction issue. Komura stated: "We must 
speak with one voice to North Korea. I would like us to have even 
closer talks." Attending the meeting was the Foreign Ministry's Asia 
and Pacific Affairs Bureau Director-General Saiki, Japan's senior 
delegate to the Six-Party Talks. 
 
(3) U.S. declares it will take North Korea off nuclear blacklist; 
Pyongyang's nuclear declaration in final phase; Nuclear weapons 
unlikely to make declaration 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Abridged) 
June 20, 2008 
 
In the wake of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's announcement on 
Washington's policy to delist North Korea as a state sponsor of 
terrorism, momentum is gathering for the six-party talks to resume 
after a lapse of six months. A meeting of the chief delegates is 
expected to take place to closely examine the contents of North 
Korea's nuclear declaration, which is expected to be made as early 
as later this month. The North is likely to present a declaration 
that does not include its nuclear weapons. Will the North make a 
substantial declaration envisaging the whole process up to 
abolishing its entire nuclear program? The six-party talks will face 
a moment of truth. 
 
Through past coordination centering on the United States and North 
Korea, the six-party talks agreed to separate two factors -- nuclear 
proliferation and the highly enriched uranium (HEU) program -- from 
the declaration. The questions of nuclear weapons and nuclear test 
sites have also been postponed and will be dealt with in scrapping 
the North's entire nuclear program. Bilateral and trilateral talks 
have been held since mid-May. The six-party talks are gaining 
momentum toward the completion of the second-phase, which requires 
Pyongyang's nuclear declaration and disablement. 
 
In her speech on June 18, Secretary Rice categorically said that 
nuclear weapons are a matter for the third phase, indicating 
Washington's intention to accept a declaration that does not include 
nuclear weapons. She also indicated that the number of nuclear 
weapons can be figured out from the amount of plutonium the North 
has produced. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001707  003 OF 010 
 
 
U.S. puts high priority on verification 
 
Rice also noted that efforts will be made to thoroughly verity the 
accuracy and completeness of the North's declaration and that if 
that is found out to be insufficient, such steps as the 
re-imposition of sanctions and the cancellation of the delisting 
might follow. 
 
From the start, there has been a gap in views between Japan and the 
United States, which puts high priority on efforts to prevent 
nuclear technologies and components from spreading to the Middle 
East and terrorist organizations. Directly exposed to the threat of 
North Korean nuclear weapons, Japan cannot afford to overlook 
Pyongyang's declaration devoid of such weaponry. 
 
U.S. eyes third phase 
 
Rice also indicated that with the disablement of nuclear facilities, 
the North is becoming a safer country to the United States and its 
allies. The Bush administration is already crafting a strategy for 
the third phase. 
 
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, too, told reporters on June 
19: "We must step up talks on measures for the next phase." Wu is 
scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State 
Christopher Hill in Beijing on the night of June 20 to discuss a 
timetable for heads-of-delegation meetings and other matters. Japan, 
which as been insisting on a complete declaration of nuclear 
programs, including nuclear weapons, is likely to lean toward 
approving the U.S. policy if the abolition of the entire nuclear 
program is ensured in the third phase. 
 
The announcement by Rice of the U.S. policy of delisting the North 
is intended to urge Pyongyang to take action, such as making a 
nuclear declaration. In order to delist the North, the President 
must notify Congress of his decision 45 days in advance. Defining 
this period as a moratorium, the Bush administration intends to 
convince hard-line congressional members. 
 
The House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted in April a bill 
requiring a complete and correct declaration of nuclear programs and 
effective verification in order to delist the North. Congress is 
controlled by the Democratic Party. Senator Barack Obama, who has 
locked up the Democratic presidential nomination, advocates a 
dialogue policy toward the North. Chances seem slim for the bill to 
clear the Senate and to be made into law. 
 
U.S. administration wants to pave way for denuclearization of North 
Korea before time runs out 
 
The U.S. administration is eager to pave the way for the abolition 
of North Korea's nuclear programs before President Bush's term of 
office expires next January. Counting backwards from then, the Bush 
administration could not wait any longer to have Rice announce the 
delisting. The administration also intends to play up its diplomatic 
achievement by bringing an end to the second phase through the 
six-party talks. In August, the Beijing Olympics will take place, 
and Congress will recess for the summer. The two major parties will 
be engulfed in a confrontational mood in September, with the 
presidential election just two months away. Given the situation, the 
second phase must be completed by the end of July. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001707  004 OF 010 
 
 
(4) Abe, Yamasaki criticize each other 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his hard-line stance 
toward North Korea, and Taku Yamasaki, chairman of the Parliamentary 
League to Promote Diplomatic Normalization between Japan and North 
Korea, who advocates the need for a dialogue approach, have 
continued to criticize each other on their respective policy line 
toward North Korea. Abe, calling Yamasaki's moves dual diplomacy, 
criticized him by saying: "What he is doing does no good and causes 
a lot of harm." Yamasaki then yesterday rebutted: "I am not a 
politician linked to interests. I have my doubts about the character 
of a politician who slanders someone." 
 
Abe was the one who started the criticism. In a speech on June 12 in 
the Naigai News, he said: "It does no good and a lot of harm." 
Yamasaki immediately rebutted: "No progress was made by taking 
sanctions alone. (Mr. Abe) is naive." Abe, who heard this, said on 
June 18: "If lawmakers say something that laxer than what is said by 
government officials in talks, it hurts the government and I would 
that interest seeking." 
 
Referring to the fact that Abe used the word "interests," one member 
of the Yamasaki faction argued yesterday in a faction meeting: 
"That's defamation of character." Yamasaki sent a letter to Abe 
calling on him withdraw the remark and make an apology. 
 
(5) Editorial: U.S. Secretary of State Rice's unconvincing statement 
to delist North Korea 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that North Korea would 
soon present a declaration of its nuclear programs to China and that 
President George W. Bush would then notify Congress of the intention 
to delist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. 
 
The Bush administration has so far insisted that North Korea must 
produce a complete and accurate declaration of its nuclear programs 
and permanently disable its nuclear facilities as conditions for the 
United States taking off Pyongyang its list of terrorism-sponsoring 
nations. 
 
However, Secretary Rice's statement meant that if North Korea makes 
an accurate declaration, the U.S. government will remove the North 
from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Since it means that 
the United States will reverse its long-held stance, it goes without 
saying that it is extremely regrettable. 
 
Secretary Rice also said that she cannot trust North Korea in view 
of its past history. She also mentioned that the Bush administration 
would assess the level of North Korean cooperation during the 45 day 
period before implementing the delisting of North Korea after 
notifying Congress. But the logistic step for the U.S. government is 
to take the delisting procedure after assessing the contents of the 
declaration. 
 
Secretary Rice only referred to the abduction issue by saying: "The 
United States has supported talks between Japan and North Korea on 
 
TOKYO 00001707  005 OF 010 
 
 
the tragic abduction of Japanese nationals. The United States never 
falls silent regarding human rights problems." 
 
Two years ago when President Bush met Sakie Yokota, the mother of 
abductee Megumi Yokota, released a message that the United States 
would never forgive North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals. 
Where has that message gone? 
 
The U.S. decision to delist North Korea could have a fundamentally 
adverse effect on the Japan-U.S. alliance. 
 
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has decided to partially lift its 
sanctions against North Korea following the latest working-level 
talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang. The government has begun 
stressing its stance of asserting the North's reinvestigation into 
the abduction issue. 
 
In a meeting yesterday of the House of Representatives Special 
Committee on Abduction Issue, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka 
Machimura stated: "If the North takes concrete action on the 
reinvestigation, Japan will respond accordingly." Machimura had said 
that if Pyongyang altered its conventional position that the 
abduction issue had been resolved, Tokyo would assess it a certain 
level of progress and it would partially remove sanctions. 
 
The government finally took the principle of "action for action." 
That's natural. This tells strong public criticism and backlash 
against the government's policy of partially lifting sanctions in 
return for Pyongyang's vague promise to reinvestigate the abduction 
issue. 
 
The question is what action North Korea will really take. Japan 
should not forget that North Korea has been dishonest. The 
government should engage in negotiations with Pyongyang keeping in 
mind that the public will not accept a reinvestigation that does not 
lead to the repatriation of all the Japanese nationals abducted to 
North Korea. 
 
(6) Postponed start-up of constitutional panels in both houses; 
"Illegality" impermissible 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
June 20, 2008 
 
By Political Department Deputy Chief Riichiro Maeki 
 
Nearly one year has passed since a decision was made to establish 
special Constitution research committees of the two Houses of the 
Diet. But it was impossible again in the current Diet session to 
start up them, faced with opposition from the Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ) and other opposition parties. 
 
It will become possible to propose revising the Constitution 
starting in 2010. Prior to this, the new committees will provide an 
arena for discussing constitutional issues. The National Referendum 
Law, which was enacted in May of last year, specifies that the 
committees shall be started up on the opening day of the Diet 
session to be held for the first time after the enactment of the 
law. The day corresponding to this stipulation was August 7 of last 
year. Although two more sessions were held since then, rules on the 
conduct of proceedings at the committees have yet to be set. Its 
chairman and members have not been appointed, either. 
 
TOKYO 00001707  006 OF 010 
 
 
 
It is abnormal that lawmakers have not followed the law they 
formulated themselves. The House of Representatives' Secretariat 
calls the situation a "state of legal nonconformity," avoiding the 
use of the word "illegality. But DPJ House of Councillors Steering 
Committee Chairman Takeo Nishioka has recognized the deferment of 
the start-up of the committees as an illegal act. 
 
The ruling coalition did not stand idly by. Liberal Democratic 
Party's (LDP) Constitution Research Council Chairman Taro Nakayama 
and Acting Chairman Gen Funada made efforts to set the panels into 
motion during the current Diet session. 
 
One of the efforts is a signature-collection activity by a 
suprapartisan constitutional assembly chaired by former Prime 
Minister Nakasone. This January, the group submitted a signature 
book bearing the names of 245 Lower House members to Lower House 
Speaker Kono and a book with 73 Upper House members' signatures to 
Upper House Chairman Eda. But the heads of the two Houses did not 
take action during the session. 
 
Nakayama and other lawmakers called on local assembly members of the 
LDP and issued one petition after another calling for swiftly 
starting up the panels. The number of petitions accepted was 44 in 
the Lower House and 57 in the Upper House. 
 
Who is to blame for the current situation? In the DPJ, many are 
posing questions about the process that led to enacting the 
legislation. The law was enacted by a majority only from the ruling 
parties in May last year as they failed to reach an agreement with 
the DPJ. Since the DPJ won an overwhelming victory in the Upper 
House election last July, this issue has been completely at 
standstill. 
 
DPJ President Ozawa has said that although the Constitution is an 
important issue, its order of priority is lower than issues related 
to the people's livelihoods. However, the DPJ Constitution Research 
Council's chairmanship has been left vacant since last year. 
 
The DPJ is aiming at grabbing political power without arranging even 
a system to deal with important issues. Can such a political party 
be called a responsible party? We call for the DPJ's serious 
reflection. 
 
(7) Probe into divided Diet - part 1: Unusual battle over gas tax; 
"Do not stop stopgap bill," Ozawa orders 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
June 20, 2008 
 
The regular Diet session is to close on June 21. The clashes between 
the ruling and opposition parties have become severe in the divided 
Diet, as can be seen in the first-ever passage by the Upper House of 
a censure motion against the prime minister.  In an unprecedented 
move, both camps engaged in a battle over a crucial issue of whether 
to maintain the provisional rate imposed on the gas tax, using every 
possible means to outmaneuver the other. 
 
"Let it happen; don't stop it." 
 
When he learned that the ruling parties were looking into a bill 
aimed at extending the provisional rates on the gasoline and other 
 
TOKYO 00001707  007 OF 010 
 
 
related taxes, which were to expire on March 31, for two months 
(stopgap bill), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) 
President Ichiro Ozawa reportedly ordered party members not to 
prevent the move. 
 
Some senior government and ruling party officials had looked into 
submitting such a bill since last year. The objective was to keep 
the provisional rates in place until a revote would be taken on the 
tax code-related bills in the Lower House on the basis of the 60-day 
rule and pass them by a two-third majority vote. There is a legal 
measure that if the upper house fails to take final action within 60 
days after receipt of a bill passed by the lower house, the lower 
house can consider the bill rejected by the upper chamber, paving 
the way for a second vote on it in the lower house. 
 
Ozawa had been aware of such a move as of the end of the year. 
However, he stopped short of resisting the move. It appears that he 
believed that even if the DPJ boycotted Diet deliberations, opposing 
the ruling party's bill, the public would understand its stance. He 
believed that if the party claimed that a bill that disregards the 
presence of the Upper House is unconstitutional, this would enable 
the DPJ to corner the government and force the ruling parties to 
dissolve the Lower House. 
 
Upper House Speaker Kono and Upper House President Eda moved to 
avoid a decisive confrontation over the stopgap bill. They presented 
a compromising plan for reaching a certain decision within this 
fiscal year, after pursuing thorough deliberations. 
 
Secretary General Hatoyama persuaded Ozawa, saying, "If the boycott 
of deliberations continues, party members would become unable to 
hold together." The DPJ in the end accepted the compromise plan. 
Following the move, the ruling parties retrieved the stopgap bill. 
 
"I will sew up revision talks, " says prime minister 
 
Prime Minister Fukuda expressed his anger to a senior ruling party 
member in late March, when the provisional gas tax was about to 
expire. That is because the official had sounded out measures to 
deal with the situation after the expiration of the provisional 
rate. 
 
The gap between the ruling and opposition parties, which was 
supposed to have been narrowed thanks to a compromise plan by the 
Lowe House Speaker and the Upper house President, once again widened 
at that time, triggered by the roll call on the fiscal 2008 budget 
bill and a set of tax code-related bills on February 29, while DPJ 
members were boycotting the session. The DPJ put the tax 
code-related bills on the back burner for a month in the Upper 
House, insisting that the compromise plan had been invalidated. 
 
Even so, the prime minister tried to find a breakthrough in revision 
talks with the DPJ. He ordered the start of the revision talks at an 
LDP executive meeting on March 3. He on the 14th directly worked on 
the DPJ to hold the talks at an Upper House Budget Committee 
meeting. 
 
However, the DPJ's response was tepid, as its aim was to realize a 
dissolution of the Lower House. The ruling and opposition parties on 
March 31 passed a special tax measures law excluding special-purpose 
road construction revenues, such as the gas tax, and the provisional 
rate on the gas tax expired on April 1. 
 
TOKYO 00001707  008 OF 010 
 
 
 
Effective measures not in sight 
 
The opposition partied did not put tax code-related bills to a vote 
by the end of April. As a result, the ruling parties readopted the 
bills for the first time in 56 years, using a 60-day legislation 
measure enabling the Lower House to proceed as if the Upper House 
has rejected the bill and put it to a second vote for final 
approval. As a result, the provisional rate was reinstated on May l. 
However, the unusual situation has continued over this issue, 
including the second adoption of an amendment to the road 
construction fiscal resources special exemption law by the ruling 
parties in the Lower House. 
 
The ruling parties have resisted the opposition camp, which rules 
the Upper House, with a strategy of taking in the Lower House a 
revote on bills voted down in the Upper House. Both the ruling and 
opposition parties have thus fought, using their weapons to the 
full. The compromise plan presented the Lower House Speaker of the 
Upper House President was not effective in settling their 
confrontation. 
 
(8) Divided Diet (Part 3 - conclusion): Interview with Nobuo 
Ishihara and Jun Iio 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
June 18, 2008 
 
Nobuo Ishihara, former deputy chief cabinet secretary: Prime 
minister must explain important policies by himself 
 
-- How do you view the battle between the ruling and opposition 
parties in the current session of the Diet? 
 
Ishihara: There are issues on which the two sides cannot coordinate 
views due to differences in their philosophies. The Democratic Party 
of Japan (DPJ) has tried to abolish the government-drafted health 
insurance system, even though it has not presented any other 
proposal. I don't think it's good for the party, which aims to take 
over the reins of government. 
 
When the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a crushing defeat 
in the House of Councillors election held after Prime Minister 
Noboru Takeshita and his cabinet resigned en masse, deliberations in 
the Upper House stalled. But the ruling and opposition parties dealt 
with important bills through discussion. Therefore, there was no 
boycott of all deliberations as there is now. 
 
-- How did you face up to the opposition camp while you were serving 
as deputy chief cabinet secretary? 
 
Ishihara: The UN Peacekeeping Operations Cooperation Law was 
established under the cabinet of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. In 
order to enact the law, I tenaciously bowed my head to get 
understanding from the opposition. What I had on my mind (while I 
was serving for the cabinet of Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and 
other cabinets) was administrative consistency. Policy consistency 
should be maintained. The rice import issue, the most controversial 
issue, was resolved under the Hosokawa cabinet. Under the cabinet of 
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, the Self-Defense Force Law was 
revised and the consumption tax was raised. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001707  009 OF 010 
 
 
-- What do you think of the role of prime minister? 
 
Ishihara: It is important for prime minister to explain about 
important policies by their own words. Prime Minister Koizumi showed 
his political identity in dealing with postal privatization and 
Yasukuni issues. He steamrolled the medical insurance issue on the 
grounds that fiscal reconstruction was needed. 
 
Mr. Fukuda has a tendency to avoid friction. With a shrinking 
population, the most important job for prime minister is to combine 
his wisdom with that of the people to keep public vitality. 
 
Jun Iio, professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy 
Studies: Make clear points at issues through party-heads debate in 
Diet 
 
-- There was noticeable turmoil in the disputes between the ruling 
and opposition camps during the current Diet session. 
 
Iio: It is valuable to make concessions, (the ruling and opposition 
camps) should reach, compromise after thoroughly deliberating on 
bills. If a compromise cannot be reached after thorough 
deliberations, the bill will return to the House of Representatives 
for a revote, and bills on which the House of Councillors fails to 
take final action within 60 days after they had been sent from the 
Lower House, the legislation can be passed by the Diet. Therefore, 
it is wrong to say that nothing can be decided in the divided Diet, 
under which the opposition camp controls the Upper House, while the 
Lower House is controlled by the ruling bloc. 
 
I wanted to see a party-heads debate every week. Even if the party 
heads are unable to find common ground, the points at issue will 
become clear. If the public wants the ruling and opposition parties 
to make concessions, compromises will be made. If the ruling and 
opposition camps are unable to compromise on issues, they will 
become campaign issues for the next Lower House election. 
 
-- Do you think the political parties are not making the best use of 
their campaign pledges (manifestos)? 
 
Iio: It is necessary to create a new rule that would stipulate that 
manifestos for a Lower House election are promises to the public, 
and that a party, which was defeated in a Lower House race, should 
give consideration to the Lower House even if it has a majority in 
the Upper House. 
 
-- Do you think Prime Minister Fukuda can give his administration a 
boost? 
 
Iio: The Prime Minister has the right to dissolve the Lower House. 
But many think that he won't be able to do so. He should make others 
believe that he may do so. 
 
-- What do you think of the strategy of Democratic Party of Japan 
(DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa? 
 
Iio: The principle of his behavior is unclear. I think party-heads 
debate should be held every week. Why doesn't Fukuda question Ozawa? 
Since he became prime minister, he has been questioned. 
 
-- Maneuvering for political realignment has already begun. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001707  010 OF 010 
 
 
Iio: Political realignment should not occur after a Lower House 
election because the Lower House members' make campaign promises to 
the public when they run for their seats. Forming a new party this 
way is not good. 
 
SCHIEFFER