Attention Paid to Normalization of Japan Parliamentary Business

Tokyo, June 28 (Jiji Press)–Attention is being paid to whether Japanese parliamentary business will be normalized this week following the opposition camp’s boycotting of proceedings in both chambers of the Diet, the country’s parliament, amid a showdown with the ruling coalition. The key is whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will be able to win over opposition parties by promising to, for example, hold intensive deliberations at the budget committees of both Diet chambers with participation by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The schedule for discussions on pending bills is increasingly becoming tight as the current Diet session is slated to end July 17. The Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of the LDP, is expected to strongly call for an extension of the session. The confrontation between the ruling and opposition blocs intensified following Takaichi’s parliamentary remark Monday in response to a question over the alleged creation by her secretary of defamatory videos targeting rival candidates in recent elections. She said, “I would like to submit a statement by the secretary for my answer.” Opposition parties in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, criticized the remark, arguing that the prime minister is disregarding the Diet. They demanded that intensive deliberations and a debate among political party leaders be held in July. As the LDP sounded reluctant, the opposition parties notified the ruling party that they would not join discussions on a deliberation schedule unless the LDP promises to meet the demands. Also in the House of Representatives, the lower Diet chamber, opposition parties called for intensive deliberations, a party leader debate and a testimony by the Takaichi secretary as an unsworn witness at the Diet. The opposition side started to boycott deliberations after the LDP forcibly decided Friday to refer bills to reduce Lower House seats and create a secondary capital of Japan, both strongly backed by the JIP, to related Lower House committees. Parliamentary discussions are continuing on important bills, including those to revise the criminal procedure law to overhaul the nation’s retrial system, establish a disaster management agency and amend the personal information protection law. “Enactment may be difficult for some bills unless the Diet business is normalized by Tuesday,” an LDP official said. Masaji Matsuyama, leader of LDP lawmakers in the Upper House, met with Takaichi on Wednesday, directly asking her to think about accepting the opposition demands. But the prime minister is believed to have expressed strong displeasure, saying, “Is it necessary to meet the requests?” Although Takaichi said in a parliamentary meeting Friday, “I would attend if so asked by the Diet,” an LDP executive said, “Nobody takes her words at face value.” Opposition parties are strongly opposing the Lower House seat reduction bill, regarded by the JIP as the centerpiece of political reform, and the secondary capital bill. With views spreading that their passage would be difficult, a senior JIP official said that the party will urge the LDP to extend the current Diet session to ensure the enactment of the bills. The government plans to submit to the Diet on Tuesday a bill to revise the Imperial House Law to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members. However, the start of discussions on the bill would be unlikely as long as the parliamentary deadlock continues. The LDP is currently negative about extending the Diet session. But calls for an extension may increase within the LDP if the Imperial House Law amendment, regarded as the most important bill by the party, becomes difficult, political watchers said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]