Tokyo, Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, and the opposition Democratic Party for the People on Thursday jointly submitted a bill to the House of Representatives to cut the number of proportional representation seats in the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, by 31.

They hope to begin deliberations on the bill at the Lower House's Special Committee on Political Reform next week, aiming to have the Diet enact it during the ongoing session, which is scheduled to end on Dec. 12.

Opposition parties except the DPFP have voiced strong opposition to the proposed seat cut, arguing that it would mean unilaterally pushing ahead with a review of the electoral system, which is considered the foundation of democracy.

Prior to submitting the bill, representatives in charge of electoral reform from the LDP, the JIP and the DPFP held a meeting in the Diet Building and formally agreed on the bill's contents.

Former Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato of the LDP said, "We will join forces and work toward the bill's passage."

Representatives from the LDP, the JIP and the DPFP formally agree on the details of a bill to cut the number of seats in Japan's House of Representatives at a meeting in the Diet Building in Tokyo on Thursday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]