Opposition Leader Conditionally Supports Budget Bill, Citing Agreement with Ruling Parties

Opposition Party Leader Supports Budget Bill with Conditions

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People (DPP), announced his party's conditional support for the government's fiscal 2025 budget bill. Tamaki, currently suspended due to an extramarital affair, stated that the DPP would vote in favor of the bill if an agreement reached with the ruling parties is implemented.

The agreement, reached in December 2023, includes a review of the annual income threshold for tax exemption eligibility, currently set at ¥1.03 million ($6,520). The three parties aim to raise the minimum taxable income from 2025, with the DPP proposing a target of ¥1.78 million. Additionally, the agreement calls for the abolishment of the provisional gasoline tax rate and further details on its implementation.

Tamaki emphasized the importance of upholding the agreement, stating that the proposed income threshold review and gasoline tax reduction were "promises of the three parties." He affirmed that the DPP would fulfill its promise to support the budget bill if the ruling parties fulfill theirs.

Following the agreement, the DPP voted in favor of a supplementary government budget for fiscal 2024. This conditional support for the upcoming budget bill indicates a potential shift in the political landscape, with the opposition party willing to cooperate with the government on certain issues.