Japan clash looms over navy bill

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Japan's lower house of parliament has approved a bill to resume a controversial naval mission, setting up a likely clash with the opposition.

The navy has been refuelling ships involved in US-led Afghan operations, but withdrew after the opposition blocked an extension of its mandate.

The new bill - seen as a compromise - limits refuelling activities to ships used in anti-terror operations.

It now goes to the upper house, where the opposition is expected to block it.

The dispute was a key factor in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's September resignation and some analysts believe that failure to resolve it could trigger an early election.

Upper house debate

The Japanese government is under pressure over the Indian Ocean refuelling mission, which it began in 2001.

The US - a key ally - is keen for Tokyo to restart its activities and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is due to visit Washington later this week.

But the opposition says the mission violates Japan's pacifist constitution, which limits its military activities overseas.

The new legislation limits Japanese ships to providing fuel to those vessels involved in monitoring vessels suspected of links to terrorism or smuggling.

The bill must now be debated in Japan's upper house, which has been controlled by the opposition since elections in July.

If the opposition blocks the bill - as it says it will - the government could ultimately override the upper house by using its hefty lower house majority.

That could prompt a censure movement from the opposition - which could then lead the government to call a snap election.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura played down talk of polls, which are not due until September 2009.

"Prime Minister Fukuda is trying his best to deal with matters at hand and is not thinking of dissolving parliament for the time being," he said.

Popular opinion is divided on the refuelling issue, but recent polls show more people back it than oppose it.