LDP Aims to Win Support for Proposal to Cut 31 Lower House Seats

Tokyo, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has formally presented its revised proposal to reduce the number of proportional representation seats in the House of Representatives by 31.

The proposal was submitted to a meeting Tuesday among working-level officials from nine ruling and opposition parties for discussions on a revision of the election system for the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament.

While aiming to win an agreement on the revised plan, the LDP asked the eight other parties to express their support or opposition at the next meeting slated for Wednesday.

The LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, submitted to the special Diet session that ended in July a bill to reduce Lower House proportional representation seats by 45. The chamber has a total of 465 seats--289 single-seat constituency seats and 176 seats under the proportional representation system.

At Tuesday's meeting, the opposition Democratic Party for the People showed tolerance of the LDP plan. The JIP also sounded flexible.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]