Japan extra parliamentary session to elect new PM set for Oct. 1

    TOKYO, Sept. 24 Kyodo - An extraordinary Diet session to elect Japan's new prime minister to replace incumbent Fumio Kishida will be convened on Oct. 1, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.

    Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi notified senior ruling and opposition party officials in charge of Diet affairs of the schedule, ahead of the presidential election on Friday of the Liberal Democratic Party.

    The winner of the race is certain to become prime minister because the LDP and its junior coalition partner the Komeito party control both houses of parliament.

    Attention among ruling and opposition lawmakers is already on the date of a possible snap election that the next leader may choose to call.

    An election must be held before the current term of House of Representatives members ends in late October 2025.

    After being endorsed in the lower chamber and the House of Councillors on the opening day of the session, the next prime minister will later form a Cabinet and deliver a policy speech in parliament.

    While the current Cabinet led by Kishida, who is stepping down at the end of his term as LDP chief in late September, can decide on the opening date, further details, including the length of the session, will be determined under his successor.

    Opposition lawmakers are demanding sufficient time be allocated for them to pose questions to the next leader in parliament before any dissolution of the lower house for a snap election.

    Under its new leadership, the LDP will seek to restore voter trust undermined by a party slush funds scandal.

    The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is set to ramp up its offensive after reinstating as leader Yoshihiko Noda, who served as Japan's prime minister for part of 2011 and 2012 during a rare but short-lived period of non-LDP rule under the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan.

==Kyodo