Japan's efforts to reform controversial allowances for lawmakers have stalled, as an agreement between two key parties on the issue lacks a specific deadline.
In late May, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Nobuyuki Baba, leader of opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai, inked an agreement to take legislative steps to require the disclosure of how the allowances are used and the return of unspent funds.
The agreement was reached on the condition that Nippon Ishin would back the LDP's bill to revise the political funds control law. However, Nippon Ishin withdrew its support for the bill as the LDP was coordinating to forgo a law revision on the allowance reform during this year's ordinary session of parliament, which ended in June.