Cornwall, England, June 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga did not rule out on Sunday the possibility of dissolving the House of Representatives for a snap election if opposition parties submit a no-confidence motion against his cabinet.   “I will consider if (such a motion) is submitted,” Suga told reporters accompanying him on his visit to Cornwall, southwestern England,….Read more

A revised law to promote gender parity in elections was enacted on June 10 to prevent sexual and maternity harassment, which has created a major barrier to women aspiring to run for office.    The law is expected to take effect on June 16. It urges political parties as well as the central and local governments to take measures to….Read more

The Saturday editions of all national dailies reported on the passage at the Diet on Friday of a bill to amend the existing national referendum law for revising the Constitution. According to Yomiuri, the Suga administration and the ruling LDP are eager to capitalize on the coronavirus pandemic to alter the nation’s supreme law by adopting a provision on national….Read more

Tokyo, June 10 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and three other opposition parties agreed at their meeting on Thursday to request a three-month extension of the ongoing ordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament, which is currently scheduled to end on Wednesday.   If the request is rejected, the opposition parties are poised to….Read more

Following is the gist of the interpellations at the Upper House Audit Committee meeting on June 7, 2021:   Vaccinations   Chairperson Nomura Tetsuro (Liberal Democratic Party): What is the current situation?　   Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide: Vaccines are a surefire anti-infection measure. I’m spearheading efforts to accelerate vaccinations to complete the inoculation of elderly people by the end of….Read more

With the current Diet session set to end on June 16 and the ruling and opposition parties busy maneuvering over a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is discussing the idea of having Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide not dissolve the Lower House and but simply have the Lower House election campaigning start on Oct. 21, which….Read more

According to Nikkei, Prime Minister Suga mentioned his intention to pass the controversial bill on promoting understanding of LGBT people by saying at the Diet yesterday: “I will do my best to fulfill my contract with the people…. Unjustifiable discrimination and prejudice is unacceptable.” However, he added that it is the LDP leadership and not the administration that is responsible….Read more

Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will call for Wi-Fi wireless connection to be introduced at buildings for members of the Diet, the country’s parliament, and making copies of materials at the National Diet Library available online, Jiji Press learned Friday.   The measures are included in a draft set of proposals on the digitalization of the….Read more