LDP Backs Govt Panel Proposals on Shrinking Imperial Family

   Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday adopted a view that two proposals by a government expert panel to address the shrinking number of Imperial Family members are "reasonable," paving the way for talks on the matter between the ruling and opposition camps.
   The LDP will submit the view to the heads of both chambers of the Diet next week. Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, and opposition parties have already compiled their own views.
   In 2021, the government panel presented the proposals, which call for allowing female members to retain their Imperial Family status after marriage and for allowing male members in the paternal line of former Imperial Family branches to be adopted into the Imperial Family.
   At an LDP meeting on the issue on Friday, there were basically no objections from participants to the LDP view on the proposals, according to Seiji Kihara, acting secretary-general of the LDP.
   Participants also did not oppose a stopgap plan to enroll male Imperial Family descendants in the paternal line into the Imperial Family by legislation if the two proposals fail to secure enough Imperial Family members, Kihara told reporters after the party meeting.

(2024/04/19-22:02)

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