The ruling coalition Thursday rejected the opposition camp's demand for an extraordinary Diet session, drawing fire that it wants to avoid debate on sensitive issues such as the timing of any Self-Defense Forces dispatch to Iraq.

Thursday was the final day of the special Diet session that convened Nov. 19 to elect a new prime minister, following the Nov. 9 general election.

The government reportedly plans to possibly reveal next week the outline of an SDF dispatch blueprint.

The ruling bloc is also trying to draw up by year's end a reform plan for the public pension system.

"(The ruling parties) are seeking to avoid important issues while the Diet is in session, and make important decisions during the interval between Diet sessions," alleged Yoshihiko Noda, Diet affairs chief of the Democratic Party of Japan.

But Hidenao Nakagawa, Noda's Liberal Democratic Party counterpart, argued the same day that such issues can be discussed at the ordinary Diet session that convenes in mid-January.

Article 53 of the Constitution requires the government to convene an extraordinary Diet session if it is requested by more than 25 percent of the lawmakers of one of the two Diet chambers.

The number of opposition lawmakers far exceeds this, but the ruling bloc decided the ordinary session can substitute for an extraordinary session.