Shizuka Kamei, a former policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, has urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to compile a huge supplementary budget for fiscal 2002 to bolster sagging domestic demand.
"The prime minister should compile a supplementary budget worth tens of trillions of yen to boost domestic demand, and stick to it," said Kamei, who is currently in Honolulu to attend a general assembly of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum.
"The fate of the Koizumi administration hinges on whether (Koizumi) shifts his (austerity) policy," he said.
"If the prime minister fails to change his policy, a miserable situation will arise and lead to a crucial political juncture," Kamei said. "Public opinion now favors a policy change, and he must realize this."
Regarding the Koizumi administration in general, Kamei said, "At present, the administration is backed only by public opinion and we don't know how long these high support levels will last. A public opinion poll one year after the launch of the Koizumi administration (in April) would be a good way to assess this."
Kamei was one of the candidates for the LDP presidential election in April but withdrew from the election at the last minute, making it easier for Koizumi to win with a landslide majority.