Calling the new coalition government of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi a "moral hazard" formed solely to reinforce political power, DPJ head Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday demanded the early dissolution of the Lower House.
Questioning Obuchi during a Lower House plenary session, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan said the chamber should be dissolved as soon as possible so the tripartite coalition can be judged by the electorate. Two other major opposition parties -- the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party -- made the same demands.
On top of the fierce criticism from opposition parties, the coalition bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and New Komeito also revealed rifts in their internal policies in their own debates.