A n extraordinary Diet session that opened Tuesday looks set for lively debates on a host of contentious issues, including the perennial problem of "politics and money." Adding to that is last month's reshuffle of the Cabinet and of top executive posts in both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
The issue of clean politics is focused on the dubious 100 million yen donation that the LDP's largest faction received from a national dentist group. Other issues include privatization of the postal services (mail, savings and insurance), reform of the social-security system including pension programs, the situation in Iraq, and relocation plans for U.S. forces in Japan.
Postal privatization is the main pillar of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reform agenda, yet much of the public remains unconvinced about what he says. In a recent opinion poll, 54 percent of those surveyed supported privatization, while 35 percent expressed reservations. As many as 88 percent said Mr. Koizumi should "explain more" about why he wants to privatize the postal system and what he intends to achieve.