PM Ishiba ne maangi maafi, gift certificate ka kya chakkar hai?
Japan ke Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ne Friday ko kuch ruling party lawmakers ko gift certificate dene ke liye maafi maangi hai. Yeh baat unki sarkar ki already low approval ratings ko aur bhi gira sakti hai aur next fiscal year ke budget ke passage mein deri kar sakti hai.
Political gadbad se Ishiba ki leadership par sawal?
Yeh political uncertainty July mein hone wale upper house election se pehle PM Ishiba ki leadership par doubt paida kar sakti hai. Aur yeh aise time par ho raha hai jab Japan ki economy US President Donald Trump ke chalte trade war se pareshan hai.
Mizuho Securities ke senior market economist Yusuke Matsumoto ne kaha, “US aur European economic policies ki wajah se market volatility badh rahi hai. Lekin ab market players ko domestic political developments par bhi dhyan dena hoga.”
PM Ishiba ne kya kaha?
Parliament mein bolte hue, PM Ishiba ne kaha ki unhone 3 March ko 15 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers ke saath dinner se pehle unhe “pocket money” se gift certificate diye the, unke “hard work” ke liye “show of appreciation” ke taur par.
Reports ke mutaabik, PM Ishiba ne har lawmaker ko 100,000 yen ($673) ke gift certificate diye the. Jab reporters ne Thursday ko pucha ki kya woh resign karenge, toh PM Ishiba ne bas itna kaha ki gifts kisi law ka violation nahi karte, Nikkei newspaper ke hisaab se.
Friday ko parliament mein PM Ishiba ne kaha, “Mere is kaam se kai logon ka vishwas aur gussa ubhra hai, jiske liye main dil se maafi maangta hun.”
Kya hai gift certificate ka mamla?
PM Ishiba ne kaha ki yeh move illegal nahi tha kyunki yeh personal gift tha bina kisi political intention ke. Phir bhi, LDP ke coalition partner se bhi iski aalochna hui aur kuch opposition parties ne unke istife ki maang ki.
Yeh gift issue PM Ishiba ki minority coalition ke liye aur bhi mushkilen paida karta hai. Coalition ko April se shuru hone wale fiscal year ke liye government ke budget plan mein rare amendments karne pade hain, taaki opposition parties ko mana sakein aur March 31 deadline tak parliament se budget pass ho sake.
Agar annual budget time par pass nahi hua toh government ko stop-gap budget banana pad sakta hai, jo PM Ishiba ki political standing ko nuksan pahuncha sakta hai aur spending plans mein deri se economy ko bhi chot pahuncha sakti hai, kuch analysts ke anusaar.
Kyodo news agency ke report ke mutaabik, LDP ke diet affairs committee ke chairperson Tetsushi Sakamoto ne Friday ko kaha ki gift issue se March end tak budget pass hone ke chances kam ho sakte hain.
Upper house election par bhi asar?
Japan mein July ke aaspaas upper house ke liye election hoga, jahan ruling coalition ki slim majority bhi khatre mein pad sakti hai agar PM Ishiba public trust ko wapas nahi la paate, jo pehle bhi lawmakers ko unrecorded donations ke issue se kharab ho chuka hai.
Public broadcaster NHK ke ek poll ke anusaar, PM Ishiba administration ki approval rating 36% hai, jo February mein 44% thi.
Japan ki economy par bhi asar?
Japan ki economy pichle saal ke last quarter mein 2.8% badi thi, robust business expenditure aur consumption ki wajah se. Lekin Reuters ke analysts ka kehna hai ki growth ab slow ho kar 0.4% reh sakti hai kyunki rising living costs aur slowing global demand ka asar consumption aur exports par pad raha hai.
