The much anticipated meeting was cancelled by PMKan when it became clear that not all parties within the governing coalition and not all members of the DPJ itself would support it.
The newspapers are united in predicting that PMKan will have great difficulty getting the cooperation and support he is seeking both from within his own fractious party, and from opposition parties.
Commenting on the meeting convened by PMKan on February 5, the Yomiuri Shimbun appealed to all political parties to refrain from political posturing and advantage-seeking, and to join in positive, constructive discussion in order to reinforce the welfare system.