Japanese Parties Divided over Lower House Seat Reduction

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese ruling and opposition parties were divided over a proposed reduction in the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, during a meeting on Lower House election system reform on Thursday.

The Liberal Democratic Party, the dominant partner in the ruling coalition, sought to reduce 45 proportional presentation seats in the 465-seat Lower House.

The opposition Democratic Party for the People called for maintaining the current number of seats. Komeito, another opposition party, said that the LDP's proposal is totally unacceptable.

Both ruling and opposition parties have agreed to come up with a reform plan this month.

"There is a wide gap as opposition parties want Lower House seats not to be reduced in principle," LDP lawmaker Keisuke Suzuki told reporters after Thursday's meeting.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]