The Saturday editions of all national dailies highlighted press remarks by Prime Minister Kishida on Friday evening following the official decision to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 20. “We will formulate a pump-priming package in coordination with the ruling coalition in October. After that, we’ll compile a supplementary budget for submission to the extraordinary Diet session.” Asked by….Read more

All networks reported that the GOJ has conveyed to the ruling coalition its decision to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 20, saying that arrangements are being made to have the first Diet session under the reshuffled cabinet continue until mid-December. Prime Minister Kishida is expected to deliver a policy speech when the session opens on Oct. 20. Noting….Read more

TV Asahi reported that Lower House Speaker Hosoda has decided to step down from his post due to poor health and has conveyed this decision to senior members of the GOJ and the ruling parties. The network said that according to several sources, the GOJ and the LDP are contemplating whether to elect a replacement immediately or have the vice….Read more

All national dailies wrote that all seven opposition parties demanded in unison yesterday that the GOJ and the ruling coalition agree to convene the extraordinary session sooner rather than later in order to deal with the rapid rise in inflation and various other challenges confronting the nation. CDPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Azumi conveyed the request to his LDP counterpart,….Read more

At a press conference held on Sept. 26, Seko Hiroshige, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Upper House caucus, stated that the government’s new economic package will be promptly incorporated in a fiscal 2023 supplementary budget for enactment. “That is what we always do,” he said. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has yet to make clear when the government will present….Read more

When the Cabinet fails to fulfill its constitutional duties, it is the role of the judiciary to rectify the situation.   From that point of view, the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Cabinet’s failure to convene a Diet session left much to be desired.   Six years ago, the Cabinet of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not respond….Read more

There are no restrictions on House of Councillors members running for the House of Representatives. But if many people do so, the public may view this as “looking down on the upper house,” and the House of Councillors’ presence would be further diminished.   The ruling and opposition parties intend to field a number of current upper house members as….Read more