The House of Councilors election, previously expected to take place July 22, may be pushed back seven days as senior officials in the ruling coalition lean toward extending the Diet session by 12 days, according to political sources.
The legislative session is scheduled to end June 23. Some coalition officials have proposed a five-day extension to ensure enactment of key laws that would help their fortunes in the Upper House election, saying a short extension would leave the widely expected date of the election unchanged.
A five-day extension, however, may not be enough to pass a bill to revise the National Public Service Law, some senior coalition officials say, hence the possibility of a 12-day extension.