Ruling, Opposition Sides Divided over Legislation for Church Victims

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling and opposition parties have remained at odds over legislation to rescue victims of questionable practices by the controversial religious group known as the Unification Church.

At their fifth meeting over the matter held Friday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its Komeito ally failed to reach a new agreement with the opposition parties--the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).

The ruling side presented a set of some 50 questions about a rescue bill submitted to the Diet, Japan's parliament, by the CDP and Nippon Ishin last month and urged the opposition parties to answer the questions at the next meeting among the four parties.

The focus in the talks is possible new legislation for controlling malicious demands for donations. The ruling camp is planning to put off the issue to next year's regular Diet session, arguing that submission to the ongoing extraordinary session is difficult.

During the current Diet session, the LDP and Komeito are instead hoping to prioritize the enactment of a bill to revise the consumer contract law for expanding the right to cancel inappropriate contracts signed under so-called spiritual sales methods. The LDP plans to show the ruling camp's draft amendment to the opposition side shortly.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]