There has been no shortage of recommendations and agreements to reform the Diet and enhance its role as "the chamber of discourse," yet many have been shelved and left untouched.

With the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Komeito, deprived of its majority in the Lower House, reaching a consensus through meticulous deliberation between the ruling and opposition parties has become crucial.

There is no longer any excuse for delaying the much-needed reforms to the legislature. Now is the time to enact these changes and establish new rules for parliamentary operations, ensuring a more effective governance.

An agreement has been reached to establish a new council on Diet reform that includes all 10 parties and voting blocs from both the ruling and opposition camps in the Lower House.

This council will build upon the "agreement on enhancing Diet deliberations" initiated in 2014 under the second Abe administration by parties such as the LDP, the Democratic Party of Japan (at that time), Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) and Komeito.

Discussions are set to begin shortly.

A........

© The Asahi Shimbun