Eight opposition parties agree to push for extra gasoline tax to be scrapped
At the day's meeting among policy chiefs, the parties, including the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), affirmed a plan to jointly submit a bill to implement such a tax cut during an extraordinary parliamentary session slated to be convened Friday.
The opposition parties are hoping to raise public expectations for political change, as the ruling coalition no longer holds a majority in either chamber of parliament after losing their combined majority in the July 20 election for the House of Councilors, the upper chamber.
Meanwhile, the CDP is aiming to foster trust among opposition parties. Tuesday's meeting was attended by policy chiefs from the CDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, Reiwa Shinsengumi, the Japanese Communist Party, the Conservative Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party.
The CDP plans to call on the ruling camp of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito to hold talks on ways to ensure the abolition of the provisional gasoline tax rate.
"We'll strongly push for the enactment (of the bill) during next month's extraordinary parliamentary session," CDP policy chief Kazuhiko Shigetoku told reporters after the meeting. "We'll not allow the tax cut to be postponed beyond Nov. 1," he added.
As the LDP has expressed reluctance to scrap the extra gasoline tax rate starting in November, talks between the ruling and opposition parties may stall.
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