政府が今国会への改正案提出の見送り方針を固めたことを歓迎する一方、小泉首相が提出断念を明言していない点を警戒する声も上がった。の英語

While welcoming the firming up of the present government policy to abandon the proposal of the reform bill to the Diet, at the same time some are worried that Prime Minister Koizumi won't clearly state the bill's withdrawal.

The government must now decide whether to reshuffle the Cabinet in September and whether to raise the consumption tax to 8 percent next April.

On the same day, Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro dissolved the Lower House, and decided to hold a Lower House general election on Sept. 11.

On March 7, the House of Commons voted in favor of reform plans that propose the introduction of an election system to the House of Lords.

The decision on the propriety of this bill would be left to the succeeding Cabinet after the resignation of Prime Minister Koizumi this September.

At a cabinet meeting on Oct. 1, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo decided to raise the consumption tax to 8 percent from the current 5 percent beginning next April.

The two parties have agreed that the DPJ will remain in its present form but the Liberal Party will be dissolved, and that the president of the new party will be Kan.

The prime minister had to go to the country much to his regret [against his will], because the Diet was against the government's plan.

The reshuffle of the cabinet aims to calm public discontent with corruption scandals involving the president's sons and a violent naval clash with North Korea in June.

Meanwhile, Koizumi emphasized again that he would resign when his term as LDP president expires next September.

Koizumi kept all of his previous 17 cabinet ministers and started his second term with a coalition cabinet of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito.

After weighing all these considerations, the promoters will present their scheme in the form of a private bill; however, they might find themselves forced to alter the route in order to meet criticisms in Parliament.

written counsel from the president of the United States, who does have the right to introduce bills into Congress, and given to Congress, in which his opinions regarding bills and laws are expressed

The election served as the first electoral test of the economic policies of Abe Shinzo, the prime minister and leader of the LDP, since the House of Representatives election last December.

After the special Diet session ends in November, Koizumi plans to choose his Cabinet and LDP executives from among those who aspire to be the next LDP president.

On July 23, Kan Naoto and Ozawa Ichiro, the top leaders of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the Liberal Party, agreed to merge the two parties by the end of September.

.S. President George W. Bush, a Republican, and Senator John Kerry, the Democrats' presidential candidate, held their last TV debate on Oct. 13.

The Government Tax Commission submitted its midterm policy report to Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro on June 17.

As a result of his Lower House election victory, Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro will resubmit his postal privatization bills and try to pass them in a special Diet session.

Koizumi also changed Aso Taro from internal affairs minister to foreign minister and reappointed Tanigaki Sadakazu as finance minister.

At a plenary session on Nov. 16, Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko dissolved the Lower House and called for a general election.

Hatoyama Yukio, the president of the DPJ, said, “The anger of the people has turned into expectations for our party. Now the people will play a leading role in politics.”

On the other hand, Okada Katsuya, the Democratic Party of Japan leader, stresses that there are other important issues such as pension system reform.

Public distrust of politics caused by the illegal donation scandal involving a member of the House of Representatives is thought to be one of the factors pulling down Koizumi's approval ratings.

South Korean President Kim Dae Jung named Chang Sang as the new prime minister in a cabinet reshuffle on July 11.

Hatoyama Yukio, president of the Democratic Party of Japan, often criticizes Koizumi's policies.

In a campaign speech, Yamasaki Taku, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, asked his audience to support Koizumi's structural reforms, but he did not propose any effective measures to boost the economy.

The DPJ's former prime ministers, Hatoyama Yukio and Kan, were unable to meet people's expectations.

Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio made a speech to the committee members and promised Japan’s financial support for the Games.

On Sept. 17, the DPJ elected Maehara Seiji, 43, as its new president.