Jan. 4 Eyed as Option for Start of Japan Diet Session

November 13, 2018

<br /><br /> Tokyo--Japan's government and Liberal Democratic Party are mulling the possibility of convening next year's ordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, on Jan. 4 in light of the ruling party's strategy for a House of Conncillors election in summer 2019. <br /><br /> The Diet law stipulates that an ordinary Diet session open in January usually and run for 150 days. Next year's ordinary session will end on June 2 if it is convened on Jan. 4 and no extension is made. <br /><br /> Under the public offices election law, an Upper House poll must be held within 30 days before members' terms expire. Each Upper House member has a six-year term. An election for the chamber is held every three years, with half of its total seats up for grabs. <br /><br /> The terms of the Upper House members whose seats will be contested in next year's election are set to end on July 28, 2019. This means that the 2019 poll must be held between June 28 and July 27 according to the law. <br /><br /> With a public offices election customarily held on a Sunday, the upcoming Upper House election can be set for June 30, July 7, July 14 or July 21 if the ordinary Diet session is convened on Jan. 4. <br /><br /> The scenario of the Jan. 4 Diet opening would thus enable the government and the LDP to flexibly set the election schedule while taking various political events into consideration, sources said. <br /><br /> If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who doubles as LDP president, successfully shows his leadership at the June 28-29 summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Osaka, western Japan, the diplomatic achievements could work in favor of the ruling party in the Upper House election, a senior government official said. <br /><br /> Meanwhile, if the Diet is in session during the 30-day period in question or if the period starts within 23 days after the end of a Diet session, an Upper House election must be held within 24-30 days after the expiration of the session so that the Upper House members to be affected by the election can focus on their parliamentary activities, according to a provision in the election law. <br /><br /> The rule would limit options for the Upper House election schedule. For example, the election must be held on June 30 if the Diet session opens on Jan. 7 or 8, and must take place on July 7 if the session begins sometime between Jan. 9 and 15. <br /><br /> The Upper House seats to be contested next year were won in the 2013 election, when the LDP scored a landslide victory, with 65 seats. <br /><br /> Many in the LDP are strongly concerned that the party could possibly suffer a setback in the 2019 election. In addition, there are concerns that the party's headquarters and local chapters could be exhausted after a series of local elections scheduled for spring next year. <br /><br /> Under the circumstances, speculation is rife in both the ruling and opposition camp that the prime minister may dissolve the all-important House of Representatives to set a snap general election for the same date as that for the Upper House election. <br /><br /> In the past, such simultaneous elections took place twice, in 1980 and 1986, and the LDP won big in both polls. <br /><br /> The election law stipulates that if the Lower House is dissolved, a subsequent election must be held within 40 days after the breakup. <br /><br /> Assuming that the lower chamber is dissolved on the final day of the upcoming ordinary Diet session, simultaneous upper and lower house elections could be held on June 30 or July 7 if the session opens on Jan. 4 and ends without any extension. <br /><br /> But in case the Diet session is launched on Jan. 7 or later, only a single date would be available for such same-day elections for each opening-day scenario. <strong>Jiji Press</strong>