More posturing

Don't get excited. It's just party leaders talking about talking, but for some reason I find this fascinating.

解散めぐり党首会談＝ 野田首相と谷垣氏

野田佳彦首相は８日夜、自民党の谷垣禎一総 裁と国会内で会談した。自民党は、消費増税関 連法案の参院採決の条件として、今国会中の衆 院解散の確約を求めており、首相から納得でき る回答が得られない場合は、内閣不信任決議案 と首相問責決議案を提出する方針。これに対 し、首相に解散時期を明示する考えはなく、増 税法案の成立へ接点が見いだせるかは不透明 だ。

谷垣氏は党首会談で、解散時期に関する首相 の見解をただす意向。首相は、民主党と自民、 公明両党が増税法案の修正で合意したことを踏 まえ、新党「国民の生活が第一」など野党６党 が提出した内閣不信任案を協力して否決するよ う要請するとみられる。会談には、民主党の樽 床伸二幹事長代行、自民党の石原伸晃幹事長が 同席した。

この後、公明党の山口那津男代表を交えた３ 党首会談も行われた。

党首会談に先立ち、首相は民主党両院議員総 会で「解散時期を明示することは、どんな事情 があってもできない」と表明。解散時期に関す る合意文書についても「政局に絡む話。作るの はふさわしくない」と否定的な見解を示した。

民主党は８日午前、自公両党との国対委員長 会談で党首会談を呼び掛けるとともに、解散時 期について「増税法案成立後、近い将来国民の 信を問う」との妥協案を提示したが、自民党は 難色を示した。このため民主党は午後、自公両 党に対し、「事前調整なしで、純粋に党首会談 をやりたい」と白紙の状態での党首会談を改め て打診。自民党は幹部協議の結果、「最後は党 首同士で話した方がいい」（幹部）として受け 入れた。

http://jp.wsj.com/Japan/Politics/node_491459

Party leaders Noda and Tanigaki meet on dissolution of parliament

Prime Minister Yoshihiro Noda met with Sadakazu Tanigaki, head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), at the Diet on the 8 th . As a condition of passing the consolidated consumption tax increase bill in the upper house, the LDP is seeking a guarantee on dissolving the lower house during this parliamentary session. If it doesn’t receive a convincing answer from the prime minister, it plans to offer a measure of no confidence in the government and a censure resolution of the prime minister. In contrast, the prime minister has shown no inclination to reveal the timing of dissolution and detecting connection points with the successful passage of the tax increase is difficult.

Tanigaki desired to ascertain the prime minister’s opinion regarding the timing of dissolution at the meeting of party leaders. Meanwhile, the prime minister, based on their agreement around amendments to the tax increase bill, appears to be seeking cooperation from the LDP and Komeito in defeating a measure of no confidence submitted by 6 opposition parties, among them new party “People’s Lifestyle First.” Also, acting chief secretary of the DPJ Shinji Tarutoko and chief secretary Nobuaki Ishihara of the LDP attended the leadership meeting.

Afterwards, a 3-way party leadership meeting was conducted with Komeito’s Natsuo Yamaguchi.

Prior to the meeting of party heads, the prime minister told the general meeting of the DPJ, “Whatever the circumstances, I cannot explicitly state the timing of the next dissolution.” He also signaled a negative opinion of a consensus document regarding the timing of dissolution, saying, “That’s a political story. It would be inappropriate to create one.”

On the morning of the 8 th , at a meeting with LDP and Komeito party policy chiefs, the DPJ called for a meeting of party leaders and presented a compromise regarding the timing of dissolution, “After passing the tax increase measure, let’s ask the opinion of the electorate in the near future,” that was rejected by the LDP. Due to this, that same afternoon, the DPJ again broached the idea of a meeting of party leaders with a blank slate agenda saying, “We would like a genuine conversation of party heads, without pre-conditions.” After an executive consultation, the LDP agreed saying, “In the end, it would be best for equal party leaders to talk.”