January 12, 2008

Japan Approves Bill on Afghan War commentary

Published: January 12, 2008

TOKYO — The Japanese government on Friday pushed through a special law authorizing its navy to resume a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean as part of the American-led military effort in Afghanistan.

In an extremely rare parliamentary move, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s governing Liberal Democratic Party used its two-thirds majority in Parliament’s lower house to override a rejection of the law by the opposition-controlled upper house, an action not taken since 1951.

The refueling mission, which was suspended in November after the opposition Democratic Party gained power in the upper house last summer, is expected to resume by the end of the month.

“That our country can participate again in the ‘war against terror’ truly has great significance,” Mr. Fukuda said in a statement.

A Japanese refueling vessel and a destroyer had operated in the Indian Ocean since 2001, supplying 132 million gallons of fuel to warships from the United States, Britain, Pakistan and other countries. Though the mission was not considered militarily significant, it carried political significance for a country whose military activities are severely curtailed by its pacifist Constitution.

The Democratic Party said it would endorse only missions led by the United Nations and said the Liberal Democrats were slavishly following the United States.

In forcing through the legislation, Mr. Fukuda, who took over the leadership from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September, risks a backlash from a public that is divided over the mission. The public remains much more concerned about the economy and other issues.

J. Thomas Schieffer, the United States ambassador to Japan, immediately issued a statement welcoming the law.

Mr. Fukuda’s approval ratings have fallen into the 30s because he has been unable to pass other legislation in Parliament since taking over as prime minister.

The Democratic Party, whose approval ratings have surpassed the governing party’s in recent polls, is expected to press with renewed vigor for a dissolution of the lower house of Parliament and a general election.

Yukio Hatoyama, the opposition party’s secretary general, said his party enjoyed a greater popular mandate because it had won in the upper house election last summer.

“The bill that was rejected by the upper house, based on the people’s will, should have been abandoned,” Mr. Hatoyama said, condemning the override.

Mr. Fukuda does not have to call a general election until the fall of 2009. But with the impasse in Parliament, he will probably be forced to do so and seek a popular mandate later this year.


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