CDP to Oppose Govt-Backed Imperial Family Bill

Tokyo, July 8 (Jiji Press)--The major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan decided Wednesday to oppose a government-backed bill to revise the Imperial House Law that is aimed at maintaining a sufficient number of Imperial Family members.

The CDP criticizes a provision allowing male-line descendants of former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the Imperial Family, planning to propose revisions to the bill.

The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, is set to begin deliberations on the bill on Friday.

Now that the CDP is set to oppose the bill, the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are expected to face a difficult situation, as they have maintained that the bill is based on the consensus of the country's legislative branch compiled by the leaders and vice leaders of both chambers of the Diet.

The bill calls for allowing the Imperial Family to adopt male, paternal-line descendants of former Imperial Family branches and allowing female members of the Imperial Family to maintain their status after marriage.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]