Japan Tokyo) Japan’s opposition parties have agreed to demand that an extraordinary session of the Diet be convened soon to avoid creating a political vacuum after Prime Minister and current LDP President Ishiba Shigeru announced his decision to step down as party president.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is arranging a party leadership election to choose a new party president.
The Diet affairs committee chairpersons of six opposition parties — the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Japan Innovation Party, Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, Japanese Communist Party and Conservative Party of Japan — met at the Diet building on Tuesday.
Participants shared the view that creating and prolonging a political vacuum due to the LDP presidential election cannot be allowed, as Diet debate on pressing issues needs to take place.
The issues include a measure aimed at reducing gasoline tax. The opposition parties confirmed they will call on the government and the ruling coalition of Liberal Democratic and Komeito parties to convene the Diet session soon.
They agreed to demand that the session be convened before the LDP presidential election if the election is held on October 4.
After the meeting, CDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairperson Ryu Hirofumi conveyed the opposition parties’ stance to his LDP counterpart Sakamoto Tetsushi.
Ryu told reporters that a political vacuum should not be allowed to continue any further due to the LDP’s domestic matter. He added that it is politically responsible to convene a Diet session within this month to work to fulfill a popular mandate.
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