A censure motion against Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is under the consideration of the country's largest Opposition party.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) warns that it will take the step unless the Prime Minister promised to dissolve the Lower House of the Diet (Parliament) before its current session ends early next month.
The LDP says it may submit the motion and a non-confidence motion to the Cabinet before the Upper House votes on a bill that seeks to double the consumption tax to ten percent by 2015. The Lower House had already cleared the legislation in June last.
Noda's governing Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) could not agree to dissolve the Opposition-controlled Upper House. The DPJ says submission of such motions would annul its earlier pacts with the LDP and the New Komeito party to cooperate to pass the bill.
In a separate move, seven other Opposition parties have decided to submit a non-confidence motion against Noda's Cabinet. They include a party led by political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa who quit the DPJ last month after voting against the tax hike bill.
If a non-confidence motion is passed, Noda would have to step down or dissolve the Lower House for a snap election. Noda has staked his political career on enacting the bill before the end of the current parliamentary session, Japanese media reports said.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.