Japan’s Takaichi to Struggle during Extended Diet Session

Tokyo, July 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration is expected to struggle during the current session of the Diet, the country’s parliament, which has been extended until July 25. On Friday, the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, approved the eight-day extension. But effectively, there are only three days available for deliberations on bills, including one to establish a secondary national capital. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party hopes to enact the JIP-proposed secondary capital bill during this limited time. Meanwhile, opposition parties plan to work together to thwart the efforts, terming the bill “self-serving.” The bill calls for establishing an alternative location that would take over the functions of Tokyo in the event of a large-scale disaster. It passed the Lower House on Wednesday, with support also from Team Mirai. The JIP hopes that the bill will help realize its long-held ambition of the so-called Osaka metropolis plan. Opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, have criticized the bill for being based on a foregone conclusion that the western prefecture of Osaka, the home base of the JIP, would serve as a secondary capital. Deliberations on the bill will begin at a special committee on regional issues at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, as early as Wednesday. The ruling camp aims to pass the bill through the Upper House and enact it on July 24. Given that the committee is chaired by a member of the CDP, however, there is no guarantee that the ruling parties can take the initiative in the deliberations. The CDP has demanded thorough discussions, including hearings with experts. Senior officials from the LDP and the CDP will meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter. The ruling parties occupy 120 Upper House seats. Even if the parliamentary group of Team Mirai is counted in, they are still two seats short of an Upper House majority. The ruling parties are asking unaffiliated lawmakers to vote for the bill. Even if the bill is voted down at the Upper House, it could still be enacted with approval from at least two-thirds of the Lower House members. The LDP alone has such a large majority. But some LDP members have voiced doubts over the bill. A former cabinet member said, “I have my reservations.” The intensive deliberations at the Lower House Budget Committee expected for Friday will be the last opportunity of debate attended by Takaichi during the extended Diet session, unless the session is extended again. The opposition Centrist Reform Alliance plans to grill the prime minister about allegations that her campaign staff created videos defaming other candidates in recent elections. Of the 64 bills submitted by the government, one to revise the immunization law and another to amend the building energy efficiency law have yet to be enacted. The government hopes that the Upper House will pass the two bills plus another bill to revise the national referendum law for constitutional amendments at a plenary meeting Friday. Of the eight days added to the Diet session, the first three are the three-day weekend including Monday. July 25 is considered a backup day, while no deliberations are scheduled for Tuesday. “We don’t know how far opposition parties would cooperate,” a senior LDP lawmaker of the Upper House said. It remains unclear whether the opposition will submit to the Lower House a no-confidence motion against the Takaichi cabinet or a censure motion against Takaichi to the Upper House. At a press conference Friday, CRA leader Junya Ogawa said, “I don’t want to make (submitting such motions) a regular event near the end of a Diet session.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]