Tokyo: Japan's main opposition party stepped up its attacks on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's government today, deciding to present a censure motion against the health minister to Parliament's upper house.

The Democratic Party, which with smaller allies controls the upper house and can delay legislation, has already blocked a controversial gasoline tax from being extended beyond its March 31 expiry and has vetoed two government nominations for a new central bank governor.

Fukuda is struggling with the policy deadlock in a divided Parliament, leading to speculation that his ruling party might replace him ahead of a general election that could come this year.

Democratic Party executives will submit a motion to censure Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe over the government's mismanagement of pension records, Kyodo news agency reported.

The timimg of the motion was being worked out. The government has confessed to misplacing millions of pension records last year, sparking public outrage and concern that retirees would be short-changed.

A censure motion would be non-binding but embarassing, and in the past, a Cabinet minister has had to resign after one was adopted. No lower house election need be held until September 2009, and the ruling bloc is wary of a poll that would almost certainly see it lose seats, but some pundits say the Prime Minister may be forced to seek a mandate to try to resolve the paralysis.

Source : UNI