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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001539 
 
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: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 07/07/09 
 
Index: 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) 
 
Security affairs: 
4) Ruling parties to present special measures bill to the Diet today 
allowing ship searches of suspicious cargo but draft skirts issue of 
SDF's involvement  (Yomiuri) 
5) Maritime Self-Defense Force will not be able to inspect cargo on 
North Korean ships under bill to allow ship searches  (Sankei) 
 
North Korea problem: 
6) Japan working on members of UN Security Council to issue a 
statement criticizing North Korea for recent missile launch 
(Sankei) 
7) Cabinet approves new measures for applying sanctions against 
North Korea  (Asahi) 
8) Once signs of North Korea readying to launch long-range missiles, 
Japan to deploy PAC-3s  (Asahi) 
 
Summit diplomacy: 
9) Aso at the G-8 summit hopes to use his diplomatic results to 
boost popularity a bit at home  (Nikkei) 
 
Crisis for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): 
10) Shizuoka shock: With LDP gubernatorial candidate losing to 
DPJ-backed one, ruling camp seriously worried about upcoming Tokyo 
assembly election  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
11) Prime Minister Aso denies that Shizuoka defeat will have any 
impact on general election  (Nikkei) 
12) Aso finds himself up against the wall, attacked from all sides 
as the LDP heads into the Tokyo assembly election, July 12 
(Yomiuri) 
13) Scenario for an early August general election collapse  (Sankei) 
 
14) Opposition camp wavering about filing a no-confidence motion 
against Aso  (Yomiuri) 
15) LDP in readying its manifesto (set of campaign pledges) for the 
Lower House election, includes promise to raise consumption tax 
(Nikkei) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
41-year-old man arrested over fire at Osaka pachinko parlor after 
turning himself in to police 
 
Mainichi: Yomiuri: Nikkei: Tokyo Shimbun 
U.S., Russia agree to cut nuclear warheads down to maximum of 1,500 
to 1,675: Means of transporting warheads also to be restricted 
 
Sankei: 
140 killed in riot in Urumqi sparked by Uighur residents 
 
Akahata: 
Tokyo Metropolitan assembly election; Japanese Communist Party will 
realize wishes of Tokyo citizens 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
TOKYO 00001539  002 OF 011 
 
 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Moves to oust Aso: Just replacing Aso will not do 
(2) Prevention of global warming: G8 responsible for making 
concessions to fill gaps with developing countries 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) U.S., Russian leaders reach agreement to cut nuclear warheads: 
Progress toward achieving nuclear-free world 
(2) PM2.5 standard value proposal drafted: Measures to reduce 
suspended particulate matter should be taken concurrently 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Qualitative administrative reform: Adopt methods used in private 
sector 
(2) New IT strategy: Create society in which people can actually 
experience convenience 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Send powerful message to post-Kyoto framework talks 
(2) Japan should display leadership in applying sanctions against 
North Korea 
 
Sankei: 
(1) G8: Tighten figurative noose around North Korea with Japan, U.S. 
playing central role 
(2) Cut in enrollment limit of doctoral courses: Education 
environment that produces experts needed 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Riot in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region: Avoid bloodshed in 
ethnic conflict 
(2) We hope to see electric vehicles become the driving force to 
contain carbon dioxide 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Diet should shed light on false political donations involving 
DPJ President Hatoyama 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, July 6 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
09:41 Kantei cabinet meeting, followed by IT Strategy Headquarters 
meeting 
10:35 Met with Deputy Foreign Minister Sasae, European Affairs 
Bureau Director General Tanizaki, and International Legal Affairs 
Bureau Director General Tsuruoka. Sasae remained. 
11:24 Met with Sasae, Deputy Foreign Minister Otabe, METI Vice 
Minister for International Affairs Ishige, and MAFF Vice Minister 
for International Affairs Murakami, attended by Deputy Chief Cabinet 
Secretary Matsumoto and Assistance Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Hayashi. Met later with Parliamentary Secretary Minorikawa. 
13:33 Met with Cabinet Intelligence Director Mitani, the Defense 
Ministry's Defense Policy Bureau Director General Takamizawa, and 
Defense Intelligence Headquarters Chief Shimohira. Mitani remained. 
 
14:31 Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. 
15:01 Met at LDP headquarters with Secretary General Hosoda and 
 
TOKYO 00001539  003 OF 011 
 
 
Election Strategy Council Deputy Chairman Suga. 
15:50 Handled paperwork at his private office in Nagatacho. 
17:05 LDP executive meeting in the Diet building 
17:43 Met at Kantei with Matsumoto. 
18:03 Returned to his official residential quarters. 
19:17 Left for L'Aquila to attend G-8 summit along with his wife, 
Chikako, from Haneda Airport. 
 
4) Cargo inspection bill to be submitted to Diet today 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New 
Komeito held a meeting of their project team yesterday on North 
Korean cargo inspections and approved a government-drafted special 
legislative measure for cargo inspections. The government will make 
a cabinet decision today to adopt the bill and will present it to 
the Diet. 
 
The bill stipulates that the Japan Coast Guard and customs will 
carry out cargo inspections. The Self-Defense Forces will be 
involved within the limits of the current law. The government had 
initially intended to specify the SDF's involvement for such 
specific activities as gathering intelligence. However, the 
government and the ruling parties agreed in their final coordination 
to forgo the idea of specifying the SDF's role, saying there is no 
need to specify in the bill what can be done under the current law. 
LDP Security Research Commission Chairman Gen Nakatani, who 
co-chaired the project team, explained to reporters after the 
meeting: "The SDF will gather intelligence and will also carry out 
warning and surveillance activities. The government will invoke 
maritime security operations (under the Self-Defense Forces Law) 
when the JCG cannot." The government is expected to invoke maritime 
security operations when, for instance, the JCG needs to inspect 
heavily armed ships. 
 
5) MSDF barred from cargo inspections 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
The government yesterday presented a draft of a special legislative 
measure (cargo inspection bill) to a project team of the ruling 
parties. The legislation allows Japan to inspect the cargo of North 
Korean and other foreign ships. The draft bill was approved. The 
bill assigns cargo inspection authority to the Japan Coast Guard 
commandant and customs superintendent. The Maritime Self-Defense 
Force's role is limited to such activities as guarding JCG patrol 
ships in its maritime security operations under the Self-Defense 
Forces law. The MSDF is not authorized to conduct cargo inspections. 
This is aimed at obtaining understanding from the leading opposition 
Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto), which is cautious about using 
the SDF, for its early passage through the Diet. The government will 
make a cabinet decision this evening to adopt the bill and will 
present it to the Diet. 
 
The bill describes how to handle contraband seized in cargo 
inspections. In concrete terms, the bill incorporates provisions 
allowing Japan to scrap biochemical weaponry. In addition, the bill 
also says items that cannot be stored will be sold, and the money 
will be returned. 
 
TOKYO 00001539  004 OF 011 
 
 
 
The legislation purports to remove the "threat" in the international 
community, including Japan, from North Korea's nuclear test and 
other factors. If a Japanese ship is suspected of carrying North 
Korean contraband and is asked by a foreign country to stop for 
cargo inspections in international waters, the legislation 
authorizes the government to issue orders to have the ship 
inspected. 
 
6) Japan to urge UNSC to condemn N. Korea 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
In the wake of North Korea's recent launch of seven ballistic 
missiles, the Japanese government has decided to urge the United 
Nations Security Council to release a press statement condemning 
North Korea, a government source revealed yesterday. In addition, 
the government, in yesterday's cabinet meeting, approved measures 
suspending the transfer of assets to business firms related to North 
Korea's weapons of mass destruction as requested in UNSC Resolution 
¶1874. The government will restrict business transactions that are 
suspected of being WMD-related transactions. The government will 
also ask research institutions in Japan not to provide North Korean 
nationals with nuclear-related education. 
 
7) Cabinet approves additional sanction measures against N. Korea 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
In the wake of the United Nations Security Council's recent 
resolution to impose sanctions on North Korea against its nuclear 
test, the government yesterday made a cabinet decision to take 
additional measures intended to prevent assets transferral related 
to North Korea's nuclear development and its weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) programs. In response, the Foreign Ministry and 
other government offices will call on banking institutions to pay 
particular attention to the transferral of assets relating to North 
Korea. 
 
As a specific measure, the government will regulate transactions 
that could lead to North Korea's WMD programs. In addition, the 
government will also restrict anything like making payments and 
receiving payments for designing and manufacturing. So far, the 
government has only restricted transactions with those designated in 
North Korea. In addition, the UNSC resolution seeks to make sure 
that North Korean nationals do not receive nuclear-related special 
education or training, so the government alerted universities and 
research institutions. 
 
8) PAC-3 may be deployed if N. Korea shows signs of launching 
long-range missile 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
North Korea launched a total of seven missiles on July 4, and all 
those seven missiles landed in waters previously announced by North 
Korea. The Defense Ministry does not think such missiles would have 
a direct influence on Japan's national security. However, if North 
Korea shows signs of launching a long-range ballistic missile like 
 
TOKYO 00001539  005 OF 011 
 
 
the Taepodong 2, the Defense Ministry will issue orders to destroy 
ballistic missiles. The ministry is also considering redeploying the 
Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3), a ground-to-air guided 
missile system. 
 
Defense Minister Hamada, meeting the press yesterday, indicated that 
he would not deploy the Self-Defense Forces for the time being and 
would gather intelligence instead. 
 
The Defense Ministry presumes that there will be physical signs, 
such as setting up a missile at a missile site and injecting fuel, 
before launching a long-range ballistic missile, according to a 
senior official of the ministry. 
 
However, North Korea, before its missile launch in April, had 
designated a danger zone in the Sea of Japan off Akita Prefecture 
and in the Pacific Ocean. The Defense Ministry therefore deployed 
PAC-3 batteries in the metropolitan area and also in the 
northeastern prefectures of Akita and Iwate. If North Korea prepares 
to launch a long-range missile without designating a danger zone, 
the government will likely be urged to make a difficult decision as 
to whether or not to deploy the PAC-3. 
 
9) Prime minister goes to G-8 Summit in Italy amid anxiety, hoping 
to recover lost ground with "diplomatic achievements" 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso took off on a special plane from Haneda 
Airport on the evening of July 6 to attend the G-8 Summit in central 
Italy. With his back against the wall after the candidate supported 
by the ruling parties lost the Shizuoka gubernatorial election, he 
most probably would like to display some achievements in diplomacy, 
which is regarded as his forte. With the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly 
election, which will decide the fate of his administration, taking 
place on the day after he returns from Italy, he embarked on his 
journey leaving behind serious concerns at home. 
 
Before he left on July 6, Aso told reporters earnestly at the Prime 
Minister's Official Residence: "Japan is the one that first came up 
with a clear direction both on the financial crisis and global 
warming. This will be an opportunity to set the course for these 
issues." He emphasized that he would also like to actively discuss 
the North Korea issue. 
 
Aso has made 13 overseas trips in the nine months since he became 
prime minister, engaging in his style of "quantitative diplomacy." 
He wants to make this G-8 Summit the culmination of his diplomatic 
work and ride on this momentum as he dissolves the Diet. 
 
In September 2002, then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a 
surprise visit to North Korea, resulting in a sharp reversal of his 
support rates, which had dropped after the replacement of Foreign 
Minister Makiko Tanaka. If Aso makes progress in the Northern 
Territories issue at the Japan-Russia summit meeting (being held on 
the sidelines of the G-8 Summit), this may serve to boost his 
administration. However, merely participating in the G-8 will 
probably have no effect on his support rates. 
 
10) "Shizuoka shock" spreading in ruling bloc, cabinet 
 
 
TOKYO 00001539  006 OF 011 
 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
July 7, 2009 
 
On July 6, the day after the ruling bloc suffered a defeat in the 
Shizuoka gubernatorial election, concerns gripped the government and 
the ruling coalition about the upcoming Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly 
election and the House of Representatives election. 
 
At a press conference yesterday, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 
Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda emphatically said about the 
party's defeat in the gubernatorial race: "We don't regard it as a 
prelude (to the next Lower House election). I don't think debates in 
Nagatacho negatively affected it." Hosoda desperately tried to deny 
the view in the LDP that confusion over the abortive plan to 
reshuffle the party executive lineup adversely affected the Shizuoka 
race and to draw a clear line between a local election and state 
affairs. 
 
In reaction to the LDP leadership, which denied any ill effects on 
the Shizuoka poll while defining it as a national-level election, 
junior LDP lawmakers who distance themselves from the Prime Minister 
raised objections, saying, "Such a stance will draw public protests. 
We should take the result humbly." Some cabinet ministers also 
expressed uneasiness as if to point to political changes after the 
Tokyo election, with Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi 
Masuzoe saying, "Depending on how the Tokyo poll turns out, all 
sorts of things could happen," and Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano 
commenting, "Once the Tokyo election is over, I would like to think 
carefully about what the LDP and the Aso cabinet, including myself, 
should do." 
 
An LDP member who served previously as one of the three top 
executives predicted that the move to unseat Aso will intensify: "If 
the (the ruling bloc) fails to secure a majority in the Tokyo poll 
and if the Prime Minister still tries to dissolve the Lower House, 
physical resistance will emerge in the party." An LDP executive also 
expressed strong opposition to the Prime Minister's plan to dissolve 
the Lower House immediately after the Tokyo election in which the 
party could suffer a defeat. 
 
11) Prime minister says ruling party candidate's defeat in Shizuoka 
election "has no effect on national politics"; LDP worried about 
Tokyo assembly election 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso commented on the defeat of the ruling 
parties' candidate in the Shizuoka gubernatorial election to 
reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in the late 
afternoon of July 6. He stressed that: "I think people who were 
involved in the election campaign actually felt that (the candidate) 
did a good job closing the gap (on the rival candidate). Local 
elections do not affect national politics directly." Election 
Strategy Council Vice Chairman Yoshihide Suga also told reporters: 
"This is not a vote of confidence on the administration but a 
gubernatorial election in one prefecture." 
 
However, there are growing concerns in the Liberal Democratic Party 
(LDP) about the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on July 12. 
Deputy Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara said at a meeting between 
the government and the LDP on July 6: "Many candidates in the Tokyo 
 
TOKYO 00001539  007 OF 011 
 
 
election are disheartened. Please cheer them up." Meanwhile, 
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya looked back on 
the Shizuoka election at a meeting with the secretaries general of 
the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party on the same 
day. He said: "It was an election where our camp was said to be 
divided. It is a miracle that we were able to do so well." 
 
12) Prime Minister Aso making last-ditch effort for Tokyo assembly 
election, aiming to keep right of dissolution 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts) 
July 7, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Taro Aso has his back against the wall as a result of 
a candidate backed by the ruling parties losing in the Shizuoka 
gubernatorial election on Sunday. Although Aso told the press corps 
yesterday: "A local election does not have a direct impact on a 
national election," stressing that the gubernatorial race loss has 
no connection with his strategy of dissolving the House of 
Representatives. However, there are strong calls from members of the 
ruling coalition for pursuing Aso's responsibility for the loss. 
Depending on the result of the July 12 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly 
election, Aso may not be able to dissolve the Lower House on his own 
accord. 
 
"I will take charge of the office during your absence. Please go to 
Italy with confidence," Chief cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said 
yesterday to Aso, who was leaving for the Group of Eight (G-8) 
summit. Aso told Kawamura: "I want you to include a report adopted 
by the council to realize a secure society in a manifesto (campaign 
pledges)." 
 
"In an attempt to dissolve the Lower House soon after the Tokyo 
assembly election, the Prime Minister wants to draft a manifesto by 
that time," (Aso's aide). 
 
Although Aso, while suffering from low public support ratings, was 
able to attend the G-8 summit, the Tokyo assembly race is the 
biggest hurdle for him to overcome. Aso appears to have acknowledged 
the importance of the Tokyo election. He made an unusual request to 
his cabinet members at an informal cabinet meeting held yesterday 
after the regular cabinet meeting. He said: "I would like you to 
stump (for candidates running for the Tokyo race) in cooperation 
with (the Liberal Democratic Party Tokyo chapter) as long as you are 
allowed to do so." 
 
Aso believes that if the LDP-New Komeito coalition wins a majority 
(more than 64 seats), the victory-or-defeat line, he will be able to 
get the "seal of approval" for dissolving the Lower House on his 
own. However, if the ruling camp loses the Tokyo election following 
the Shizuoka race, there will be a possibility that not only Aso's 
dissolution strategy will go wrong but also Aso will be unable to 
resist the ruling parties' drive to remove him from office. 
 
Sense of alarm rising in ruling parties 
 
The ruling LDP and New Komeito have become increasingly alarmed 
since a candidate they backed lost the Shizuoka gubernatorial 
election. Since the results of the Tokyo assembly election will have 
a serious impact on the next general election, the ruling parties 
intend to reconsider their campaign strategy for the Tokyo race. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001539  008 OF 011 
 
 
Prime Minister Aso (LDP president) stressed in an LDP executive 
meeting last evening: "We aim to win the Tokyo assembly election." 
At the same time, referring to the illegal donation scandal 
involving Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio Hatoyama's 
political fund management organization, he said: "The DPJ, which is 
faced with such a problem, does not have the capability to assume 
the political reins." He indicated in his remark that the LDP would 
strengthen its stance of pursuing Hatoyama. 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura, LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki 
Hosoda and other ruling camp leaders held a meeting at noon 
yesterday in the Diet building. In the session, most participants 
said: "Let's do our best in the Tokyo election." The participants 
agreed to increase the level of campaign support by party leaders. 
 
13) LDP's defeat in Shizuoka gubernatorial election foils Aso's plan 
to carry out general election in early August 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Excerpts) 
July 7, 2009 
 
Fumito Ishibashi 
 
The candidate backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the 
New Komeito party was defeated in the July 5 Shizuoka gubernatorial 
election. This has hugely upset Prime Minister Taro Aso's plan to 
dissolve the House of Representatives in late July for a snap 
general election in early August. Anti-Aso forces are set to unseat 
the Prime Minister immediately after the July 12 Tokyo Metropolitan 
Assembly election. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, who was not able 
to shuffle his cabinet or the LDP executive lineup, seems to have no 
effective means to stop them. Amid this gloomy atmosphere, the Prime 
Minister departed last night from Haneda Airport for Italy to attend 
this year's L'Aquila G-8 summit. 
 
Yesterday morning, Prime Minister Aso entered the cabinet ministers' 
reception room on the fourth floor of the Prime Minister's Official 
Residence (Kantei) ahead of a cabinet meeting, with a grim 
expression. In the room, the Prime Minister nodded silently as 
Education, Culture, Sports and Science and Technology Minister Ryu 
Shionoya representing the Shizuoka 8th constituency rose to his feet 
and bowed, looking pensive. 
 
After the cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister said to the cabinet 
ministers: "Shizuoka is Shizuoka, and the Tokyo election is the 
Tokyo election. The Tokyo poll is up next. I want you to cooperate 
with the Tokyo assembly to an extent that does not harm your 
official duties. Let's do our best each time." The Prime Minister 
also told the press corps that a local election would not affect the 
national political scene. If (the ruling bloc) suffers a defeat 
despite the mobilization of all cabinet ministers, calls to hold Aso 
responsible are certain to emerge. 
 
The Prime Minister initially planned to achieve victory in the 
Shizuoka race after shuffling the cabinet and the LDP executive 
lineup on July 2, and to announce Lower House dissolution during his 
foreign trip. 
 
This plan has completely fallen through. If he sends out a message 
during his foreign trip, that might fuel the moves to unseat Aso. 
 
The Prime Minister has even called off the usual practice of holding 
 
TOKYO 00001539  009 OF 011 
 
 
an informal discussion on domestic political affairs with the 
traveling press corps during the summit. 
 
The aborted plan of revamping the LDP executive lineup has ended up 
weakening the power base of the party leadership. In a government 
and LDP consultative meeting, held in the Diet building around noon 
yesterday, Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda urged the members 
present to remain alert so that no one would call for an early LDP 
presidential election while the Prime Minister is on a foreign trip. 
But the meeting was void of energy. 
 
In compliance with calls from some former secretaries general, 
Hosoda had planned on July 3 a meeting with former secretaries 
general for July 8, but he has been forced to call it off. 
 
Through this meeting, Hosoda apparently intended to contain the 
early LDP presidential election argument. But such former 
secretaries general as Hidenao Nakagawa, Tsutomu Takebe, Koichi 
Kato, and Taku Yamasaki are clearly anti-Aso. Former Prime Ministers 
Yoshiro Mori and Shinzo Abe expressed concern that the event might 
end up causing an explosion rather than releasing some steam. Prime 
Minister Aso, too, expressed his displeasure, and the meeting was 
abruptly cancelled. This has exposed Hosoda's lack of competence. 
 
14) Opposition parties differ on vote of no confidence on cabinet; 
SDP, PNP want to shake up ruling coalition; DPJ does not want to see 
Aso step down 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
The secretaries general of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the 
Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the People's New Party (PNP) met 
at the Diet on July 6 to discuss the submission of a motion of no 
confidence against the Aso cabinet. While the SDP and the PNP 
favored doing so at an early date, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya 
Okada maintained a cautious stance. They agreed to watch the moves 
to "oust Aso" in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and meet again 
on or after July 13, after the outcome of the Tokyo Metropolitan 
Assembly election on July 12. 
 
The SDP and the PNP are keen on submitting a motion of no confidence 
because they believe that Prime Minister Taro Aso's leadership has 
weakened rapidly with the decline in cabinet support rates and the 
LDP's defeat in the Shizuoka gubernatorial race, and this is a good 
opportunity to shake up the ruling coalition. They also predict 
that: "If the motion of no confidence is rejected, this will mean a 
vote of confidence on the prime minister by the ruling parties, so 
they will have to go into the House of Representatives election 
under him. In case there are a large number of rebel votes, the 
prime minister will probably dissolve the Diet." (senior PNP 
official) 
 
There were supportive views in the DPJ: "The prime minister is 
probably unable to decide on dissolving the Diet on his own. We 
should make a move at this time to create the opportunity." (senior 
DPJ official) 
 
However, President Yukio Hatoyama told reporters in Tokyo on July 6, 
"I am not necessarily thinking of rushing the submission of a motion 
of no confidence," taking a cautious stance. Okada also said at the 
meeting of opposition party secretaries general that, "We will 
 
TOKYO 00001539  010 OF 011 
 
 
consult you when the time comes for a political decision." 
 
The DPJ leadership is cautious about submitting a motion of no 
confidence at an early date for the following reasons: (1) the 
amendment to the organ transplant law is being deliberated in the 
House of Councillors and (2) it is diplomatically undesirable to 
make the prime minister face a vote of no confidence while he is at 
the G-8 Summit. However, it also appears that the party takes the 
position that "if the vote of no confidence results in the 
acceleration of the moves to oust Aso in the LDP, the unpopular 
prime minister's resignation will not be good for us." (senior DPJ 
official) Furthermore, if the motion is rejected, this will result 
in the boycott of proceedings in both houses of the Diet. It is 
reckoned that, "There is no need for us to take on the risk of being 
criticized for boycotting the Diet." 
 
15) LDP drafts manifesto: Consumption tax hike to be considered once 
economy turns around 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
July 7, 2009 
 
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on July 6 firmed up a draft 
manifesto for the next Lower House election. Concerning a future 
hike in the consumption tax, a focus of policy attention, the draft 
does not specify a new rate or a timetable. It just mentions that 
the government will consider the issue once the economy turns 
around. It also notes reform of decentralization, including the 
scrapping of the current system of local governments shouldering 
part of the costs of projects carried out by the central government, 
and a restriction to the number of hereditary lawmakers. The party 
will compile specifics before the end of this week. It, however, 
said that it would not release the details until the Lower House is 
dissolved. 
 
"Substantially mention the efficacy of stimulus measures." So 
saying, Prime Minister Taro Aso on the 6th at the LDP headquarters 
ordered Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda and other party executives 
to demonstrate the administration's capability to run the 
government. He also said, "I want you to include policy measures 
targeting young people." The party has decided to incorporate into 
the manifesto a grant system to enable anybody to go to a 
university, if they wish, and free child education. 
 
Regarding reform of decentralization, which the Association of 
Prefectural Governors has requested, the wording stating that the 
request will be complied with as much as possible will be included. 
The scrapping of the share of local governments in the costs of 
projects carried out by the central government and a study on the 
introduction of a doshu or regional bloc system will also be 
incorporated. The proposals give consideration to influential chiefs 
of local governments, indicating the LDP's desire to seek help from 
them in campaigns for the upcoming general election. 
 
Main items for consideration in LDP manifesto 
 
Q Expand the grant system for those who enter college 
Q Free child education 
Q Abolish the share of local governments in the costs of projects 
carried out by the central government 
Q Look into the introduction of a doshu or regional bloc system 
Q Introduce a restriction to the number of hereditary lawmakers, 
 
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starting in the election after next 
Q Consider reviewing the constitutional interpretation concerning 
the right to collective self-defense. 
Q Raise the consumption tax once the economy turns around. 
 
ZUMWALT