Japan Party Leaders Debate Scheduled for Wed.

   Tokyo, June 5 (Jiji Press)--A parliamentary debate between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and leaders of opposition parties will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday, it was decided Thursday.
   The upcoming debate will begin later than the usual 3 p.m., in order to make it easier for the public to watch television broadcasts. It is set to be the final leaders debate of the ongoing parliament session, slated to end June 22.
   The decision was made at a joint meeting of board members from the committees on fundamental national policies in both chambers of parliament.
   In the 45-minute event, the chief of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan will be given 30 minutes to debate Ishiba, while the head of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) will be given nine minutes and that of the Democratic Party for the People six minutes.
   The leaders are expected to spar over measures to tackle soaring rice prices and the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, ahead of the elections for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly this month and for the House of Councillors, the upper parliamentary chamber, this summer.

(2025/06/05-19:00)