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Japanese parliament in deadlock Japan deadlock over US warships
(about 5 hours later)
Japan's government has extended the parliamentary session into the New Year for the first time in 14 years in an effort to get a disputed bill passed. Japan's government has extended the parliamentary session into the new year for the first time in 14 years, in an effort to pass a controversial bill.
The controversial bill would allow Japan to renew its refuelling operation in the Indian Ocean in support of US-led operations in Afghanistan. Opposition MPs, who control the upper house, are blocking the bill, which would allow Japan to refuel US warships involved in conflict in Afghanistan.
It has been blocked by the opposition, which controls Japan's upper house. But Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is determined to secure a renewal for the mandate of the refuelling mission.
Japan's prime minister is determined to secure a renewal for the mandate of the refuelling mission. Analysts say the stand-off may damage Japan's security alliance with the US.
Japanese ships that had been supporting the US-led coalition activities in the Indian Ocean returned home at the end of October, when the mandate for their mission expired. Japanese vessels that had been supporting US-led coalition warships in the Indian Ocean returned home at the end of October, when the mandate for their mission expired.
Some here fear that withdrawal is damaging the security alliance between the US and Japan. The opposition's continued refusal to approve the bill is causing Mr Fukuda severe problems, says the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo.
Stand-off While deliberations continue, it is hard for him to get anything else through Japan's parliament, the Diet.
The problem is that the opposition is blocking the passage of the legislation through Japan's upper house. And he is also finding it difficult to leave Japan on trips he wants to make to China and to Europe, our correspondent adds.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has now been forced to extend the parliamentary session to try to get the law passed. But he says he will not back down and he has rebuffed rumours that he is about to call a snap election to defuse the situation.
The opposition's refusal to compromise is causing Mr Fukuda severe problems. "It is not the time to think of dissolving the lower house now," he told reporters.
While deliberations continue, it is hard for him to get anything else through the Diet or indeed to leave Japan on trips he wants to make to China and to Europe. The opposition can delay the bill for only 60 days - until mid-January.
But he says he will not back down. After that Mr Fukuda is expected to force it through parliament with a rarely used procedure that will ensure it becomes law.
The opposition can only delay the bill for a 60-day period, which runs out in mid-January.
After that Mr Fukuda intends to force it through parliament with a rarely used procedure that will ensure it becomes law.