As Diet debates go into full swing, the Democratic Party of Japan has dubbed the current Diet session a "people's-lives-first-gasoline" session. The leading opposition party, which together with other opposition parties controls the Upper House, appears determined to scrap the "temporary" additional rate imposed on gasoline and other road-related taxes, and thus reduce gasoline prices by ¥25 per liter. The party's aim is to sell itself as a party dedicated to improving people's lives.

During interpellations in the Lower House's plenary session, the DPJ said if it becomes a government party, it would use consumption-tax revenues to pay for the basic portion of the pension without raising the tax rate, pay farmers the difference between production costs of staple foods and market prices, and provide a monthly child allowance of ¥26,000 to families. But the party has not yet offered clear explanations as to where it will find revenue sources for implementing these proposals. In an attempt to become a government party, the DPJ called for early dissolution of the Lower House for general elections. If it truly wants to run the government, it must present a grand vision of the kind of country it wants to build. Without such a vision and without convincing explanations concerning revenue sources, people will take its policy proposals only as a publicity stunt of sweet promises.

Strangely, DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa did not interpellate in the Lower House plenary session as a representative of his party. He had said that this year will be a year of a decisive political battle and declared that he will do his utmost to create an administration led by him. His failure to present a vision for the Japanese state and to question Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda could only deepen people's distrust of him and his party.