TOKYO - JAPANESE Prime Minister Taro Aso faced a new test of his ailing leadership Tuesday as the opposition prepared a censure motion against him ahead of looming general elections.
The motion, which is almost certain to be passed by the opposition-controlled upper house, carries no legal force but is another setback for Mr Aso, whose party risks being swept from power next month.
It accuses the 68-year-old premier of being unfit to lead the nation, criticising him for policy flip-flops and wasteful economic stimulus measures aimed at currying favour with voters ahead of the general election.
The last time the upper house passed a censure motion was in June last year against Mr Aso's predecessor Yasuo Fukuda, who stepped down a few months later.
The opposition has also introduced a no-confidence motion against Mr Aso's cabinet in the more powerful lower house, but it is expected to be shot down by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Mr Aso's LDP, which has enjoyed half a century of almost unbroken rule, has a comfortable majority in the lower house, thanks to a resounding win under the popular premier Junichiro Koizumi four years ago.
But voter surveys suggest it is likely to be replaced by the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which won the upper house in 2007.
Battered by a key local election at the weekend, Mr Aso on Monday called a general election for August 30 that could reshape the political landscape in the world's second largest economy.
His growing woes come despite recent signs of an improvement in the economy, which has slumped to its worst recession since World War II due to a collapse in exports triggered by the global economic downturn.
The beleaguered premier, a former diamond trader and one-time Olympic marksman, has unveiled a series of stimulus spending packages, including cash handouts for households. -- AFP.
