Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was under fire from the opposition leader on Monday amid political funding scandals involving senior members of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and frayed relations with the United States.

Sadakazu Tanigaki, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP), used a parliament session to accuse the prime minister of indecisiveness, claiming that the DPJ has lost the faith of the public due to undemocratic practices.

"Are you really the person that governs this country or its top decision maker?" Tanigaki asked. "I think that the Hatoyama administration has become a dictatorial government led by (DPJ Secretary-General Ichiro) Ozawa and is no longer a legitimate leadership base on the will of the public."

Hatoyama responded: "We stick to a democratic screening process. And so the secretary-general neither controls the party nor the government."

Tanigaki also questioned Hatoyama on investigation into a land purchase by Ozawa's funding management team with 400 million yen ( US$4.4 million) in undeclared funds.

"I believe prosecutors will carry out a fair investigation, and I will follow and assess it in a calm manner," the prime minister said.

Tanigaki said he believed the prime minister had displayed indecisiveness in foreign policy, by taking so long to reach a decision on what changes, if any, should be made to a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by the United States and Japan in 2006.

"The government has wasted time and played on the feeling of the people of Okinawa Prefecture," Tanigaki said, while Hatoyama argued he was determined to make a decision responsible on that matter.

A key part of the agreement is to relocate the Futenma air base, home to about 2,000 US Marines, to a smaller city of Nago from a more crowded part of Okinawa.

However, residents of Nago, on Okinawa, chose a candidate opposed to the hosting of an American military base in a mayoral poll last month.

Mr. Hatoyama said the result of the election reflected the will of the people, and that Japan will continue to re-examine its commitment to relocate the air base.

"The country will start from scratch on this issue and take responsibility to reach a conclusion by the end of May," he said.