Diet Expected to Elect New Prime Minister on Oct. 15

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The Liberal Democratic Party-led administration is coordinating to convene the Diet for an extraordinary session on Oct. 15 to elect Japan’s next prime minister, following the ruling party’s upcoming leadership election, it was learned Thursday. A vote to choose outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s successor is expected for the first day of the session, and a new prime minister will form a cabinet later in the day. The winner of Saturday’s LDP leadership election is likely to become prime minister because opposition parties are unlikely to unite behind a single candidate, despite the LDP-Komeito coalition lacking majorities in both Diet chambers. The new prime minister will address to each Diet chamber and answer questions from party representatives. The opposition camp is demanding that each chamber’s budget committee hold intensive discussions with the new prime minister as soon as possible. The dates of these budget committee meetings will be set based on the new prime minister’s diplomatic schedule, including a visit to Malaysia for Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings expected to begin on Oct. 26. During the extraordinary session, the government is expected to submit a supplementary budget bill. It remains to be seen whether the ruling bloc can gain enough support from the opposition side. The Diet is also expected to deliberate on a bill to scrap the provisional gasoline tax surcharge, which the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to carry out by the end of the year. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]