THE immediate problem facing Japan's new coalition Government, now that it has reached agreement on its programme for political reform, is what will be the reaction of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The reform issue is a crucial test for newly-installed LDP leader Yohei Kono since, if he mishandles it, the once-dominant party could split, thereby further complicating the fast-changing Japanese political scene.
The LDP reaction is critical because it remains the largest single party in the Japanese parliament and has already shown a disposition to be obstructive, as when it delayed the formation of the new administration led by Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa.
Since Mr Hosokawa has said he will ''take responsibility'' for securing the parliamentary passage of political reform by the end of 1993, the LDP may be willing to filibuster the bill until the end of the year, in the hope that this will force the Prime Minister to resign.
A basic problem is that there is no tradition of a government routinely using its majority to pass its own bills.
At least four government bills will be required to encompass the various reform measures, and these are due to be presented to the next parliamentary session, which begins on September 17.
Thus the opportunity exists for the LDP to bring that session to a complete halt if it refuses to co-operate in the passage of the reform bills.