Economic revival is the main theme of the 150-day regular Diet session that opened on Monday. One of the first items to be discussed is a supplementary spending package for fiscal 2002 designed to shore up the sluggish economy. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's policy speech, scheduled for delivery on Jan. 31, is expected to focus on economic measures, including steps to reverse deflation.
But diplomatic issues will likely steal the show, depending on how the crises over North Korea and Iraq develop. Pyongyang continues to rattle the nuclear saber in open defiance of international nuclear nonproliferation agreements, while Baghdad is bracing itself for a possible U.S. invasion. If war comes, Japanese support will become a subject of heated debate both inside and outside the Diet.
It is also likely that in the heat of economic and diplomatic debates, the perennial issue of political reform will be put on the back burner. However, eradicating political corruption remains a pressing priority. Last week's Supreme Court conviction of former Construction Minister Kishiro Nakamura is a fresh reminder that the Diet has yet to establish stricter standards of political ethics.