Aso extends Diet session for 55 days through July 28

TOKYO, June 1 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso decided Monday to have the current ordinary Diet
session extended for 55 days through July 28, and is highly likely to dissolve
the House of Representatives during the session to hold a general election by
or on Sept. 6.
The decision was formally confirmed at a meeting between the leaders of the
ruling parties -- Aso, who doubles as president of the Liberal Democratic
Party, and Akihiro Ota, leader of the LDP's coalition partner, the New Komeito
party, at the premier's office.
The extension of the 150-day session that was to end Wednesday now leaves Aso
options to call a general election by or on Sept. 6, a Sunday immediately
before the term of the incumbent lower house members expires on Sept. 10.
The Public Offices Election Law stipulates a lower house election must be held
within 40 days following the chamber's dissolution. The premier will thus be
required to dissolve the lower house on July 28 to hold a general election on
Sept. 6.
The ruling bloc is seeking to hold a general election in early August, but the
election date could be pushed back to a later date, depending on how the main
opposition Democratic Party of Japan acts in parliament and how Aso's
popularity ratings move.
''In view of various factors, I will decide'' on the timing for dissolving the
Diet, Aso told reporters in the evening.
After joining the meeting between the party leaders, LDP Secretary General
Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters that such factors as exchanges between the
ruling parties, the situation regarding Diet deliberations and an economic
recovery are likely to have effects on the timing of the election.
Aso said, ''I would like to make an all-out effort to have all the remaining
bills clear the Diet,'' referring to extra-budget-related bills and other major
bills.
According to Hosoda, the key bills include antipiracy legislation and a bill to
revise the organ transplant law.
The opposition parties are likely to vote down all the bills needed to
implement the extra budget at the House of Councillors, but the Constitution
states that the ruling parties can still get them passed in a revote 60 days
after sending them to the upper house.
Since five of the six bills remain stuck in the lower house, the 55-day
extension is not enough for Aso to see them cleared under the 60-day rule, and
cooperation by the opposition parties is crucial for Aso to have them passed
during the current session.
Asked whether he has any plans to dissolve the Diet if he faces resistance from
the opposition bloc, Aso only said, ''I will consider various things in
dissolving (the Diet).''
Opposition lawmakers view the Diet extension as Aso's strategy to avoid holding
the general election at an early date.
''We have said we would not derail the passage of any bills and he didn't have
to extend the Diet so considerably,'' DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama told
reporters. ''One considerable explanation is that he just didn't want to
dissolve the Diet (soon for an election).''
A fiscal 2009 extra budget worth 13.93 trillion yen aimed at boosting Japan's
sagging economy cleared parliament Friday, but its related bills must also be
passed to get the largest-ever extra budget implemented.
==Kyodo