For the first time in the current Diet session, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and the Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa had a one-on-one debate last week. Compared with their low-key debate in January, last week's debate was heated and came closer to what such a debate ought to be. Both Mr. Fukuda and Mr. Ozawa should strive to make their future debates equally interesting and meaningful to voters.
In the debate, Mr. Fukuda strongly expressed his frustration over the DPJ's three-time rejection of the government's appointment plan for top officials at the Bank of Japan. Criticizing the DPJ's opposition to appointing former Finance Ministry officials at the BOJ's top posts, Mr. Fukuda insisted that there is nothing wrong with appointing qualified and experienced former bureaucrats to such posts.
Mr. Ozawa replied that the real problem is the system in which the posts of BOJ governor and deputy governor have become "vested interests" of the Finance Ministry, and said that such a system must be changed. Mr. Fukuda countered by accusing the DPJ of abusing its position as the leading party in the Upper House over the issue of personnel appointments requiring Diet approval.