Extraordinary Session with No Majority in Both Houses

An extraordinary session of the Diet with terms of only five days was convoked on August 1st. Given the result of Upper House election, in which the leading coalition lost its majority, balance of power among the parties was significantly changed. Shigeru Ishiba administration is likely to spend more political energy than ever to implement its policies, asking cooperation from the opposition parties. 

It is usual that an extraordinary session is convoked right after the election. The parties have been discussed which post of committees they would take. They finally agreed on distributing 8 chairs out of 17 standing committees to the Liberal Democratic Party and 2 to Komeito, while 3 went to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), 2 to the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and one each to Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin-no Kai) and Sanseito.

 

The LDP reduced 2 posts from pre-election status. Instead, the DPP and Sanseito gained one seat each. The LDP could secure the chair of Committee on Budget which can discusses all the issues, from national budget bill to testimony of witnesses in a scandal. However, the CDPJ obtained chair of Commission on the Constitution, making constitutional amendment, which LDP hawkish lawmakers insisted on, further difficult.

 

The leading coalition, LDP and Komeito, reduced its posts of standing committees in the House of Representatives from 14 to 9 after its election in October 2024, while the CDPJ added three, and the DPP and Ishin did one each. Given no majority in both Houses, Ishiba urged LDP lawmakers to work together for state of Japan and the world in a plenary meeting of the party at the beginning of extraordinary session.

 

It is usual that post-election session is closed after allocation of committees’ posts is done. However, the opposition parties requested discussion on the tariff deal concluded after three-month negotiation with the United States, and the leading coalition accepted. The opposition parties criticize Ishiba administration of getting no written document about agreement on reducing tariffs on cars from 27.5 percent to 15. Ishiba hopes to show his ability to manage discussion with the opposition powers to secure his position as the LDP president.

 

The opposition parties are making another advance on a policy. Seven opposition parties submitted a bill for immediate gasoline tax cut to the Diet. Although it is unlikely to have detailed discussion on the bill in this extraordinary session, the opposition parties demonstrate their unification on one specific issue. The leading coalition dismissed a similar bill to last ordinary session in June, but it has no longer power to stop that. The bill is expected to pass in another extraordinary session in this fall.

 

It is fair to say that the opposition parties have not been consolidated enough. If they are united to break down the leading coalition, they can do it with numerical advantage in both Houses. However, they still cannot design a new administration after the collapse of current government. “It can be done in the fall,” said CDPJ leader, Yoshihiko Noda, about possibility of submitting non-confidence resolution against Ishiba Cabinet in this extraordinary session.

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