Diet session to be extended to Jan. 15

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota have agreed the current Diet session needs to be extended until Jan. 15 to give their parties enough time to override the Upper House's expected rejection of a bill to resume Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.

Secretaries general of the ruling and opposition parties plan to meet Thursday to discuss the one-month extension. A vote is expected Friday at a plenary session of the House of Representatives.

Fukuda, the Liberal Democratic Party president, and Ota, during their two-hour chat Tuesday night, agreed that gaining passage of the antiterrorism bill during this Diet session will require the extremely rare step of getting the Lower House to override the House of Councilors.

The session, already extended by 35 days, is to end Saturday. The LDP-New Komeito ruling bloc wants to extend it another month, thereby keeping the Diet session almost uninterrupted before the regular session begins in mid-January.

New Komeito is concerned that overriding the antiterrorism bill in the more powerful Lower House could lead the opposition camp to submit a censure motion against Fukuda in the opposition-controlled Upper House of Councilors to pressure him to call a snap general election.

New Komeito is apparently seeking assurances from Fukuda that he will not dissolve the Lower House even if the Upper House votes for a censure motion, which would be nonbinding.

According to coalition sources, both Fukuda and Ota favor an election after the Group of Eight summit is held in July in Hokkaido.

Extending the Diet session would make the bill's passage certain even if the Upper House rejects it or delays a vote. This is because the ruling bloc, with its two-thirds majority in the Lower House, can override Upper House decisions.

In addition to the refueling bill, the ruling bloc also plans to compile the fiscal 2008 budget by the end of this month, according to lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Japan executives agreed Tuesday to oppose an extension.

DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa said not enough time has been spent on deliberations and that scandals involving the Defense Ministry have yet to be cleared up. "I'm not happy about hurrying toward holding a vote," he said.

If the Upper House doesn't vote on a bill within 60 days of receiving it after it clears the Lower House, the lower chamber can take that as a rejection and hold a second vote.