The ruling coalition on Tuesday night submitted a stopgap bill to the Diet that would maintain current provisional gasoline and other auto-related tax rates until May 31, touching off sharp protests from opposition parties who want an end to the 30-year-old temporary taxes.
In a display of political maneuvering, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc withheld the bill until the Lower House approved the supplementary budget for fiscal 2007 in the evening to prevent angry opposition forces from stopping Diet deliberations.
LDP Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki said the ruling bloc hopes to get the stopgap bill through the Lower House on Wednesday.
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