Japan Ruling, Opposition Camps Split over Secondary Capital Bill Vote

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling and opposition parties intensified their battle Thursday over a bill to create a secondary capital of the country, during talks at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, or parliament.

With the extended current session of the Diet set to end Saturday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party proposed a voting schedule with an aim to enact the bill Friday.

Six opposition parties put their decision on hold, calling for a ban on holding local referendums on the establishment of special wards and related local elections simultaneously.

Based on a response from the LDP, Upper House Diet affairs chiefs of the opposition parties will discuss on Friday whether to agree to hold a vote on the bill at the chamber. The legislation, submitted by the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, last week.

The current Diet session, which was originally slated to end last Friday, has been extended for eight days as the ruling bloc aims to enact the bill during the session. If it becomes difficult to pass the bill, the ruling side may consider extending the session again.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]