Japan's main opposition party requests 3-month extension to parliamentary session

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TOKYO, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) on Friday requested that the end of the current parliamentary session be pushed back by three months to allow for more debate on matters related to COVID-19 and the Tokyo Olympics.

The request was made by the CDPJ's head of Diet affairs Jun Azumi to his counterpart Hiroshi Moriyama in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during a meeting between the pair.

The request came as the CDPJ and other opposition parties have been critical of the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, believing that its efforts to curb the spread of the virus have been inadequate, particularly the slow pace of its vaccination campaign.

They have also taken issue with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's pledge that holding the Olympics this summer in Tokyo will be "safe and secure."

This came amid opposition parties' concerns that the capital is currently under a third COVID-19 state of emergency, along with nine other prefectures, as the entire nation continues to grapple with the fourth wave of infections.

Next Monday when Suga returns to Japan after his trip to Britain for the Group of Seven summit, the LDP-led coalition will reply to the CDPJ's request for the current session, set to end next Wednesday, to be extended, Moriyama said.

Opposition parties have said they will file a vote of no confidence in Suga's cabinet if the request for an extension is turned down by the ruling coalition. Enditem

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