Japan: Opposition parties submit censure..to block Iraq bill

[Nambe]

TOKYO, July 24, Kyodo

Opposition parties submitted a censure motion against Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi to the House of Councillors on Thursday morning in a last-ditch effort to block the ruling bloc from passing a bill to send Self-Defense Forces personnel to Iraq.

The ruling parties plan to push the bill through the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee --- The bill has already been passed by the House of Representatives.

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[NNN0LHI]

1. I don't know how Japans politics work. Is this common? n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

2. Censure is not very common

It has been used at least once during the governments of the last three prime ministers (Kobuchi, Mori, and Koizumi), but most of these censure motions have been voted down (although one censure motion against the hapless Mori helped remove him from office).