Japanese leaders on Friday expressed positive views on establishing a permanent law that would enable Japan to dispatch self-defence troops overseas, instead of having to seek a special law for each deployment, according to dpa. The second round of talks were held Friday between Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) following the withdrawal of its military refuelling missions from the Indian Ocean the previous day. During the talks, Fukuda proposed to Ozawa to form a new coalition government in order to realize a pressing political agenda and to continue the mission during the current Diet session. Ozawa later refused. The DPJ leader said he wished to see a permanent law enabling Japan to dispatch its Self Defence Force (SDF) on peaceful missions overseas. Japan withdrew its SDF vessels from the Indian Ocean Thursday as its 6-year mission expired. But Fukuda and his Liberal Democratic Party have insisted the need to show Japan's cooperation in the international community's fight against terrorism resume as soon as possible. The extension bill was difficult to pass because the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner New Komeito lost the majority in the upper house of parliament in the July elections. The DPJ now controls the House of Councillors. Fukuda, who wishes to continue refuelling missions during the current Diet session, proposed the one-on-one talks with Ozawa. They held the first round of talks on Tuesday, with Ozawa saying that the refuelling mission was against Japan's war-renouncing Constitution. Allied forces, particularly the United States, have requested Japan's continued assistance in refuelling allied warships.
