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Japan opposition party to vote against dispatch of SDF to Iraq

PLA Daily 2004-01-21

TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) confirmed a plan Tuesday to vote against the ongoing dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) troops to Iraq, a senior DPJ lawmaker said.

The plan will be finalized by the main opposition party's shadow cabinet Wednesday, said Seiji Maehara, who serves as finance minister in the shadow cabinet.

The DPJ will also oppose a bill for an extra budget for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, because it covers an outlay earmarked for the reconstruction of Iraq.

On Monday, the government submitted a bill to parliament calling for parliament approval of SDF dispatches, already under way, to Iraq for the reconstruction effort. The special law to that end required the government to obtain parliament approval for the dispatches.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration sent a small advance team from the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) to Iraq and envisages sending core GSDF contingents there later this month or in February.

Senior lawmakers involved in parliament proceedings said they plan to set a vote on the SDF dispatch possibly later next week, whether or not the government has ordered a core GSDF team to go to Iraq by then.

Maehara said the high-profile plan to dispatch large-scale GSDFteams should be treated specially.

If a parliament vote is held before the government orders a core GSDF team to go to Iraq, the DPJ will call on the governing coalition to hold a separate vote exclusively on the GSDF dispatch,Maehara said.