Japan Press Weekly

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2017 June 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

JCP will demand convening of extraordinary Diet session

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on June 21 at a street speech held in Taito Ward in Tokyo announced that in order to probe into the “Kake Gakuen” scandal, the party will request holding an extraordinary session of the Diet.

Koike said that the secretaries-general of the four opposition parties (the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Liberal, and Social Democratic parties) will hold a meeting on June 22 and will make representations to the chairpersons of both Houses in regard to opening an extraordinary Diet session under the provision of Article 53 of the Constitution.

Article 53 of the Constitution states that in a case where more than one fourth of lawmakers in either the House of Representatives or the House of Councilors demands the opening of an extraordinary session of the Diet, the session must be convened.

While the general public suspicions surrounding the “Kake” scandal increase, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo claims he will “achieve accountability” for the “Kake” allegation. Koike criticized the ruling parties for refusing the opposition parties’ request for an investigation into allegations while the Diet is in recess.