- The lower house is expected to pass a measure to double the sales tax
- But members of the governing party have threatened to leave over the issue
- That could cost Prime Minister Noda his majority and result in a confidence vote
- Japan has had six different prime ministers in the past six years
Tokyo (CNN) -- Japanese lawmakers were voting Tuesday on a contentious plan to double the country's sales tax, straining loyalties in the governing party of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
A series of social security and tax reform bills were expected to be passed by the lower house on Tuesday after Noda amended the bill heavily to secure support from the biggest opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party.
But around 50 member's of Noda's own party, the Democratic Party of Japan, oppose the bill and have threatened to leave the party. They are led by the influential Ichiro Ozawa, who is known for his political power-broking.
If more than 54 members decide to leave the DPJ, the party will lose its majority in the lower house, raising the prospect of a vote of no confidence against Noda. If he loses that vote, he will have to either quit or call a snap election.
The sales tax has been the defining issue of Noda's premiership since he took office in September, becoming the latest in a string of politically fragile Japanese leaders.
He is the sixth prime minister to hold office in the six years since the departure of Junichiro Koizumi of the LDP, who was in power for more than five years.
The proposed increase in the sales, from 5% at the moment to 10% by October 2015, is considered crucial by many analysts to help tackle Japan's enormous public debt of 709 trillion yen ($8.89 trillion) .
That amounts to 219% of annual gross domestic product, the highest ratio in the developed world. Japan is grappling with ballooning social security and health care costs for its rapidly aging population.
Meanwhile, its economy its struggling to grow as the persistently strong yen hurts exports.
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