The ruling and opposition parties are unlikely to agree on measures to secure a sufficient number of imperial family members during the current parliamentary session, sources said on Wednesday.
This comes mainly as Japan’s main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) is at odds with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and other parties over a proposal to allow female members to retain their imperial family status after they begin dealing with ordinary people are married.
With the proposal, the LDP-Komeito coalition, as well as Nippon Ishin no Kai and the People’s Democratic Party on the opposition side, reject the idea of granting the spouses and children of such female members the status of imperial family. On the other hand, the CDP is committed to discussions about the idea.
The first meeting between the ruling and opposition parties to discuss measures to realize a stable imperial succession, led by Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives, took place on May 17.
Nukaga proposed holding talks every week to reach a consensus before the current session of parliament ends on June 23. But the CDP and the Japanese Communist Party opposed that, saying such discussions should not be rushed.
In order to hold extensive talks, after the second meeting on May 23, it was decided that the heads and deputy heads of both parliamentary chambers would hear what each political party had to say on the issue.
However, very little progress has been made in terms of planning, making it very unlikely that the events will be completed before the end of the Diet Session.
“We have no extra time left in our parliamentary schedule,” said a ruling party lawmaker. “There’s no need to rush.”
