Japan's Diet Session Likely to End on Wednesday as Scheduled

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--The current session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, is expected to end on Wednesday as scheduled, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is now negative about an extension.

The LDP thinks that even if the Diet session is extended, a bill aimed at reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives is unlikely to pass because of fierce opposition from opposition parties.

The Japan Innovation Party, the LDP's coalition partner also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai, seeks to enact the bill during the current Diet session.

"We're in a situation where we can't find even a rough schedule for enactment," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki said at a press conference, referring to the bill. "It has become unlikely that we can extend the (Diet) session."

The bill was jointly submitted to the Diet by the LDP and the JIP. Opposition parties strongly object to a provision that would cut 45 Lower seats automatically if the ruling and opposition blocs fail to agree on a reduction within the next year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]