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Whoa...Japan PM Kan survives no-confidence vote

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-02 15:04

 

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (C) shakes hands with a lawmaker during a meeting with members of his ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in Tokyo June 2, 2011. Kan said on Thursday that he would step down after handling issues related to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent nuclear crisis.[Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday, but the unpopular leader will still struggle to break a policy deadlock given a split in his own party and a divided parliament.

Opposition parties controlling parliament's upper house have criticised his response to the deadly March 11 earthquake and tsunami and resulting nuclear crisis, and have threatened to block bills as long as he is in power.

Just hours before the vote Kan offered to resign once he had dealt with the worst of the country's nuclear crisis and tsunami disaster. Parliament's lower house rejected the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion by 293 votes to 152.
At least two members of Kan's own Democratic Party backed the motion, while power broker and Kan rival Ichiro Ozawa abstained from voting, media said.