Nippon Ishin Sees Snap Election If Cut in Diet Seats Rejected

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) in the ruling coalition, said Saturday that dissolving the House of Representatives for a snap election could be an option if the opposition camp blocks the policies outlined in its coalition agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party. Among the policies is a reduction in the number of seats in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet. “It is better to dissolve (the Lower House) if the things we promised and believe are right are crushed unreasonably,” Fujita said on a television program. On a different TV channel the same day, Nippon Ishin chief Hirofumi Yoshimura, also the governor of Osaka Prefecture, said that the relationship of trust between his party and the LDP “would collapse” if a bill to reduce Lower House seats is not submitted during the current extraordinary Diet session. Yoshimura’s remark is seen as a warning to the LDP, some members of which are cautious about cutting Lower House seats. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]