Takaichi Administration Eyes 60-Day Extension of Diet Session

Tokyo, June 29 (Jiji Press)–The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering extending the current Diet session by 60 days to enact key bills, it was learned Monday. The move comes as it is uncertain whether bills to establish a secondary capital in the country and to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, can be enacted during the ongoing session, currently scheduled to end on July 17. The bills are considered top priorities by the Japan Innovation Party, the junior coalition partner of Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party. By getting the bills through the Diet, she apparently hopes to maintain support from the JIP. According to informed sources, Takaichi mentioned the possibility of extending the Diet session by 60 days when she met with Masaji Matsuyama, leader of the LDP in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, on Wednesday. On Monday, Takashi Endo, the JIP’s Diet affairs chief and special adviser to the prime minister, told reporters that a 60-day extension is a possible option. Article 59 of the Constitution stipulates that bills not put to a vote by the Upper House within 60 days of passage by the Lower House can be considered voted down, sent back to the Lower House and enacted by a two-thirds majority vote. The ruling coalition lacks a majority in the Upper House, but it has a two-thirds majority in the Lower House. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]