Extraordinary Diet session likely to be convened Sept. 13+

TOKYO, July 14 Kyodo -
The government and Democratic Party of Japan are considering convening an
extraordinary Diet session on Sept. 13 to debate legislation following the
ruling party's defeat in the House of Councillors election over the weekend,
government and party sources said Wednesday.
The schedule is contingent on the reelection of Prime Minister Naoto Kan as DPJ
president at the party leadership election being arranged for Sept. 5.
If he gets reelected, Kan is expected to work on a Cabinet reshuffle and a
change in the DPJ leadership lineup and intensify consultations with opposition
parties about working together following the ruling coalition's loss of its
majority in the upper house.
The DPJ still has a comfortable majority in the more powerful House of
Representatives by virtue of its resounding victory over the long-ruling
Liberal Democratic Party in last summer's general election, but the division in
the Diet is likely to lead to gridlock during the new parliamentary session.
The DPJ-People's New Party ruling bloc has decided to convene an extraordinary
Diet session on July 30 to fill posts needed for parliamentary deliberations,
senior DPJ lawmakers said earlier.
The session will mainly be to complete necessary formalities, such as selecting
the upper house president and heads of standing committees, according to the
lawmakers.
==Kyodo
2010-07-15 00:15:32