TOKYO: Japan’s government and ruling camp are considering a plan to convene an extraordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament, on Oct. 16.

It would be the first Diet session since the reshuffle of Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s cabinet and the launch of a new leadership team of his Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday.

The upcoming session is expected to see heated debates ahead of the Oct. 22 by-elections for both Diet chambers, with speculation growing over a possible dissolution of the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber, for a snap election.

Following the launch of his new cabinet and the new LDP leadership team, Kishida aims to compile a package of drastic economic measures to tackle soaring prices.

In the session, the Diet is expected to discuss a fiscal 2023 supplementary budget to finance the package and a bill for creating the Japanese version of Britain’s Disclosure and Barring Service to ensure that people who work at schools and other places related to children do not have sex crime records.

“Considering planned overseas trips by cabinet ministers, the start of the extra Diet session will mostly likely be Oct. 16,” a government source said.

If the session starts later than that, there will not be enough time for discussions, an LDP member said.

JIJI Press