The extraordinary Diet session that ended Thursday brought to the fore the simmering discord within the tripartite ruling coalition. The Liberal Party threatened to quit the coalition because a bill to slim down the Lower House, which was one of the conditions for the party's joining the coalition, was put on hold.
The session, the first since Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi formed the coalition Cabinet in early October, failed to address the question that the people want to know the most: With the 21st century almost here, what is the primary goal of the giant coalition? Mr. Obuchi praised the virtue of coalition politics, but stopped short of saying exactly what he wants to achieve under the triumvirate.
The three ruling parties -- the Liberal Democratic Party, the LP and New Komeito -- command a considerable majority in the Diet. But that does not mean that the Obuchi administration is stable because the parties, in a hasty attempt to put together a ruling alliance, neglected to hammer out a solid joint policy agreement.