Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, warning that his party faces its worst ever crisis, prepared for a fresh showdown with the opposition today as a fractured parliament opened for a new session.

Fukuda is expected to meet fierce resistance in the 150-day session to his agenda, particularly on his efforts to maintain a fuel tax which he describes as necessary to help Japan fight global warming.

Fukuda has told his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to be ready for a snap election sometime this year and warned yesterday that the party "is facing the biggest crisis since its establishment" in 1955.

The Liberal Democrats, who had held a majority in both houses of parliament almost continually for the past half-century, lost control of the upper house for the first time last summer following a string of scandals. Fukuda, a 71-year-old political veteran, took office in September after his embattled predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned.

Parliament is reconvening days after the end of the last session, which was twice extended by the government as it struggled to pass key legislation.

Last week, Fukuda had to use the power of the lower house to override an upper house rejection and resume a controversial naval mission supporting the US-led "war on terror." It was the first use of such an override since the LDP was founded. Local media have dubbed the new session the "gasoline parliament" as Fukuda is expected to meet tough opposition over his efforts to renew a "temporary" fuel tax.

Source : PTI