Japan Press Weekly

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2022 September 28 - October 4 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Opposition parties jointly submit bill to set deadline for Cabinet decision to convoke extra-Diet session

The Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, the “Reiwa Shisengumi” party, and the Lower House political group “Yushi no Kai” on October 3 jointly submitted a bill to revise the Diet Act to the House of Representatives.

The bill stipulates that the Cabinet must decide to convoke an extraordinary Diet session within 20 days after a convocation request is made based on Article 53 of the Constitution.

Article 53 obliges the Cabinet to convene an extra-Diet session when it is sought by a quarter or more of the total members of either House. This stipulation aims to ensure opposition and minority parties’ power in the Diet.

Using this stipulation, opposition parties made a convocation request to the Abe and Suga governments as well as to the Kishida government. However, these administrations ignored the opposition parties’ requests and refused to hold an extra-Diet session for a maximum of 80 days on the grounds that the Constitution has no stipulation that sets a deadline for deciding on the convocation.

After the submission, CDPJ Lower House member Ryu Hirofumi said to the press, “It is significant that opposition parties jointly introduced the Diet Act revision bill on the day when the 210th extraordinary session of the Diet was finally convened.” He added, “I want to establish a rule that requires the Cabinet to respond to a convocation request properly in line with the spirit of the Constitution.”