Only three weeks ago, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's tripartite coalition was in a celebratory mood after the opposition forces ended their boycott of the Diet and all proceedings returned to normal.
The Diet turmoil started when the alliance of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and New Komeito rammed through a bill for reducing the number of Lower House seats at the outset of the ordinary Diet session. No urgency surrounded the bill, and it was only presented to promote the coalition's partisan interests.
When the Diet returned to normal, Obuchi no doubt was pleased that he had a freer hand in deciding when to dissolve the Lower House and call for a general election. Since then, however, a series of shocks have jolted his administration.