The chances of the Democratic Party of Japan-led government's plan to provide child allowances in fiscal 2011 clearing the Diet decreased Thursday, as the Japanese Communist Party joined a move to vote the related bill down.
JCP leader Kazuo Shii said the small opposition party will not support the bill, which would enable the provision of monthly child-rearing benefits, noting it considers problematic raising funds for the allowances by "increasing some of the taxes for ordinary people."
Other opposition parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, have already confirmed they will oppose the bill in the ongoing Diet session.