TOKYO: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on Wednesday agreed that political party leaders will hold a parliamentary debate session on June 19, the first such talks since Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio took office in October 2021.

The debate is expected to focus on political reform following the LDP’s high-profile slush funds scandal. A party leaders’ parliamentary debate normally lasts 45 minutes.

Participants are expected to include Kishida, who is also LDP president, CDP head Kenta Izumi, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) leader Nobuyuki Baba, Japanese Communist Party head Tomoko Tamura and Democratic Party for the People chief Yuichiro Tamaki.

The CDP plans to use the debate to make a final decision on whether to submit a no-confidence motion against the Kishida cabinet.

“We want to make the leaders’ debate the biggest highlight of the current parliamentary session at a time when distrust of politics is widespread,” CDP parliamentary affairs chief Jun Azumi told reporters.

JIJI Press