Discussion of postponing the reduction in the number of members of the House of Representatives has emerged within the Liberal Democratic Party, giving top priority to enacting the consumption tax reduction bill

Ahead of the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on the 5th, some within the Liberal Democratic Party are calling for postponing discussions on reducing the number of members of the House of Representatives. This is due to concerns that while opposition parties continue to oppose the move, it will affect the deliberations on the consumption tax reduction bill, which the Takaichi administration has placed as a top priority. The ruling coalition party, Japan Ishin no Kai, has maintained its position of calling for an early reduction in the number of seats, and there is a difference in opinion within the ruling party.

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"The top priority is to enact the consumption tax reduction bill. There is a possibility that the quota reduction bill will be postponed to next year's regular session of the Diet." A Liberal Democratic Party official pointed out this. The ruling party does not have a majority in the House of Councilors, and the cooperation of opposition parties is essential for the bill to be passed. There is a judgment that it is not a good idea to bring up the issue of reducing the number of seats and invite opposition from opposition parties.

A senior official at the prime minister's office also expressed hope, saying, ``I would like the quota reduction bill to be deliberated after the tax reduction bill is enacted.'' At the Liberal Democratic Party's political system reform headquarters held on September 30, there were a number of cautious opinions on reducing the number of seats. There is little momentum within the Liberal Democratic Party to make this a reality.

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to reach a conclusion on reviewing the current House of Representatives election system by the end of October. The ruling party has called for a discussion on reducing the number of seats, but the opposition party is refusing to respond. The chairmen of the national relations committees of both houses of the House of Representatives of the opposition parties met in the Diet on the 2nd and confirmed that they would block the passage of a bill submitted by the ruling party that would reduce the number of proportional representation seats by 45 seats.

A consumption tax cut is Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ``fervent wish.'' There are voices within the Liberal Democratic Party that emphasize cooperation with the New Komeito Party, which advocates a permanent zero consumption tax rate on food products. Komeito is opposed to the reduction of the number of seats for proportional representation only, and Komeito executives are against it, saying, ``We cannot cooperate with the Liberal Democratic Party.''

The Meiji Restoration has been making the reduction of fixed number of workers the ``center pin of reform,'' so they are growing impatient. If it is postponed for the third time, following last year's extraordinary Diet session and this year's special session, opposition within the party is expected to grow stronger, and Representative Hirofumi Yoshimura (Governor of Osaka Prefecture) reiterated to reporters at the prefectural office on the 2nd, ``We will accomplish the reduction in the number of seats in the extraordinary Diet session.'' In response to his argument for prioritizing the consumption tax cut, he said, ``Both are campaign promises.''