The government and the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc officially ordered an extension to the current extraordinary Diet session until Dec. 25 to secure passage of two key bills.
The special antiterrorism bill enabling the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue its refueling activities in the Indian Ocean and a bill to bolster the banking sector are currently stuck in the opposition-controlled Upper House, where the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, has been refusing to hold a vote on them.
"The main reason (why an extension is necessary) is to secure the approval of the special antiterrorism bill and the bill to strengthen financial functions. But the passage of neither of the bills is clear," Prime Minister Taro Aso was quoted as saying by LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda.