Lawmakers remain divided on secondary capital, with talks of further extension

Lawmakers remained bitterly divided Friday over a bill to create a secondary capital, prompting talk in the ruling party of another extension of parliament and an opposition party leader threatening a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sanae Takachi’s government.

Discussions behind closed doors took place throughout the day as members of parliament sought a compromise but occasionally emerged from meetings to make threats.

“There’s no choice but to consider other options, including a (further) extension of parliament,” Liberal Democratic Party Upper House parliamentary affairs chief Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters after a meeting with his Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan counterpart, Yoshitaka Saito, on Friday morning failed to produce an agreement on the issue.