Japan opposition threatens no‑confidence over secondary capital bill

In the upper house, opposition parties are refusing to cooperate on the secondary‑capital bill that the governing coalition wants to pass before the session ends. Centrist Reform Union leader Jun‑ya Ogawa warned that if the bill is delayed and the Diet is forced to extend its term, “we will take the maximum counter‑measures, including a cabinet no‑confidence motion.”

Opposition policy chief Yasutaka Saitō echoed the stance, stating that “the secondary‑capital bill cannot be put to a committee vote today.” The opposition demands a prohibition on holding local elections and referendums on the same day, a point the government has not accommodated, raising the prospect of a no‑confidence motion and further debate over extending the parliamentary session.

The standoff threatens to stall the bill’s passage and could lead to a prolonged Diet session, although the ruling party retains a solid majority that makes any no‑confidence motion unlikely to succeed.