Ishiba Voices Hopes for Parliamentary Talks on Imperial Succession

   Tokyo, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday expressed hopes for active parliamentary discussions on ways to ensure stable Imperial succession.
   "I hope that parliament will hold active discussions to reach a consensus as soon as possible" on the matter, Ishiba told a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors.
   Responding to a call for putting together a supplementary budget to finance reconstruction efforts in the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, following a massive earthquake and heavy rain, Ishiba said that the government "can respond more swiftly with reserve funds."
   On a slush funds scandal involving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Ishiba said that the party will urge members involved to reflect on the matter regardless of an election and will establish an ethical standard for following rules.
   Ishiba said that scrapping the system of merged prefectural constituencies for the Upper House "is important for balancing the reflection of the will of the people with the equality of the value of votes."

(2024/10/08-15:57)

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