The Diet was set Monday to approve over the strong protests of opposition parties a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 that includes Prime Minister Taro Aso's controversial ¥2 trillion cash handout.
However, it was unclear if the stimulus measure would pass before the day's end because the opposition parties in the afternoon engaged in a full-blown battle with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito bloc over the unpopular payout program.
The Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, has repeatedly demanded that the government abandon what it calls the "pork-barrel" program and use the money in other ways to help the public. Various opinion polls have shown that the majority of the public are against Aso's key economic policy.