The Democratic Party of Japan-led government withdrew a bill Wednesday to provide monthly child allowances for the fiscal year that starts Friday, including increasing payments for children under 3, amid criticism from opposition parties that the money should be used to reconstruct the March 11 disaster zone.
In response, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, the two largest opposition forces, are expected to agree to deliberate another bill in the Upper House to extend the current monthly child allowance for six months as a stopgap measure.
It is the first time since 1958 that the government has withdrawn a bill already being deliberated in the Diet. The move is expected to give momentum to discussions between the ruling and opposition parties about a supplementary budget for reconstruction.