The ruling Liberal Democratic Party announced Monday that the current Diet session, which is due to end on Wednesday, will be extended until Sept 27.
LDP Secretary-General Sadakazu Tanigaki and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have been pushing for the extension to allow more time for deliberations in the Diet on a set of controversial security bills.
During his visit to the United States in Golden Week, Abe said in a speech to the U.S. Congress that the new security legislation would be enacted this summer.
However, opposition parties have objected to any extension. On Saturday, Katsuya Okada, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said the Diet session should end as scheduled, Fuji TV reported. He said there is a need for further discussion on the security bills and the issue should not be rushed.
The Japan Communist Party has also expressed its opposition to extending the Diet session.
© Japan Today
4 Comments
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some14some
such a long extension? no business done during regular session?
SenseNotSoCommon
Snap election-style sleight of hand. How much will this latest stunt cost the taxpayer?
DMoore
We need a mandatory cap on Diet session extensions! 95 days?! That's more than a "quarter of a year" with which budgets are measured! It COSTS to keep these OTL guys "in session" you know - and coming out of TAX money too! If some publisher were to sell subscriptions for a $1,000/yr for issues, 12 months later come up with their 5th issue & a note saying "we operate on the Azteca calendar of 465 days in a year" plus "an automatic subscriptions renewal notice" saying it is $2,000/"yr" would one go along with that? Much more prone to ask the Postal Inspector to initiate criminal fraud investigations! I mean, do these parties in power and government employees think they can get away with anything?! If they were private sector they'd surely all be in legal hotwater at the very least! Bullocks!!
Scarlet-Pimpernel
Oh I say DMoore, burning the midnight lamp? Rather agitated are we... must have meant $1,000/yr for 6 or 10 or 12 issues eh (contextwise 4 and 5, obviously not); well I can understand the anger swelling up but do keep tabs on issues!