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Kan reiterates his resolve for fiscal reform
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has expressed willingness to run in the leadership election of his Democratic Party in September.
Kan was speaking at a news conference on Friday, the first day of an extraordinary Diet session convened after this month's Upper House election.
He said he will continue implementing policies as prime minister and DPJ leader if party members support him.
Kan also said fiscal reconstruction is an issue that the government must tackle, no matter who is in power.
But he said he will not pledge to raise the consumption tax in the leadership race, and admitted that his abrupt proposal to do so before the previous election was one reason why his party suffered a setback.
The election resulted in a hung Diet, with the governing coalition losing control of the upper chamber.
Kan said the governing bloc will listen seriously to opposition parties, and expressed hope that both sides will be able to agree on policies such as fiscal reconstruction and social security reform.
On a proposal to reduce the number of lawmakers, Kan said he told DPJ executives to conclude discussions on the matter by the end of August and work to reach an agreement with the opposition bloc by December.
The Democratic Party has proposed cutting the number of Lower House seats by 80 and Upper House seats by 40.
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