Japan Press Weekly

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2025 September 10 - 16 [POLITICS]

Opposition Dietmembers submit official request for early convocation of extraordinary Diet session

Nine opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, on September 10 based on Article 53 of the Constitution submitted to the House of Representatives Speaker Nukaga Fukushiro a written request calling for an extraordinary Diet session to be convened without delay.

Criticizing the Liberal Democratic Party, the document stated that since the July House of Councillors election which led the ruling bloc to lose its majority in the Upper House, the LDP has concentrated only on internal party affairs and paid little attention to people’s livelihoods. It pointed to the urgent need to hold Diet discussions in order to deal with the cost of living crisis and other pressing issues, and stressed that it is possible to convene an extraordinary session of the Diet even though the LDP’s presidential election following Prime Minister Ishiba’s resignation announcement is scheduled to be held on October 4.

After the submission, JCP Diet Policy Commission Chair Shiokawa Tetsuya said to reporters, “The early convocation request is supported by the majority of Lower House members and thus it is the demand of the people.” He added that an extra Diet session should be opened so that the lowering of the consumption tax rate which the nine parties promised in the July Upper House election will be discussed in the Diet.

The submitted request was signed by 239 House of Representatives members, over half of the total, who belong to the nine opposition parties (the JCP, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, the Democratic Party for the People, the “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party, the Sanseito party, the Social Democratic Party, the Concervative Party of Japan, and a parliamentary group of independents).

Article 53 of the Constitution stipulates that the Cabinet must convene an extraordinary Diet session when it is sought by a quarter or more of the total members of either House.

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On the following day, the JCP together with nine other opposition parties in the House of Councillors submitted a similar request to President of the House Sekiguchi Masakazu. On the document, nearly half, or 121, of the house members signed their names.

In the submission, JCP Upper House member Nihi Sohei criticized the LDP for regarding the Diet as being solely under its control, and stressed, “Diet deliberations have not taken place for almost three months. This situation totally runs counter to the constitutional principle of popular sovereignty and democracy.” He said, “The best way to protect people’s livelihoods from the rising prices is to either lower the consumption tax rate or to abolish this regressive tax altogether. Many parties in the July Upper House election vowed to achieve a consumption tax cut. This should be discussed in the Diet without delay.”