AA/ İstanbul/ Riyaz up Khaliq
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces a major challenge as the new parliamentary session begins on Friday. His minority government must gain support from smaller parties to pass crucial legislation.
In his speech to the lower house, Ishiba outlined his vision of transforming Japan into a more “sustainable” and “independent” nation.
The 150-day parliamentary session will require Ishiba’s coalition, made up of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, to secure support from smaller parties to pass government bills, including the national budget.
The PLD-Komeito coalition currently holds 221 seats in the House of Representatives, 12 votes short of the 233 needed to pass legislation in the 465-member chamber.
To bridge this gap, the coalition began negotiations with the People’s Democratic Party (DPP), which holds 21 seats.
“Both the ruling and opposition parties must engage in thorough deliberations and strive to ensure that the people understand and support us,” Ishiba said, calling for bipartisan support ahead of the budget debate.
Last month, Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a record 115.54 trillion yen ($733 billion) proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins in March.
-According to Japanese news agency Kyodo News, the government plans to introduce around 60 bills during this session, which will last until June 22.
Among these proposals is a plan to raise the income threshold for tax payments, a demand from the People’s Democratic Party (DPP).
Although the coalition retains a majority in the upper house, Ishiba’s government also faces security challenges, particularly following Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency.
Japan, which hosts more than 50,000 American troops, has however seen its relations with arch-rival China improve.
Translated from English by Sanaa Amir
Only part of the dispatches, which the Anadolu Agency broadcasts to its subscribers via the Internal Broadcasting System (HAS), is broadcast on the AA website, in summary form. Please contact us to subscribe.
