With Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda finally getting legislation to hike the sales tax passed by the Diet after promising opposition parties he would call a snap vote "soon," lawmakers have started to focus on bills to reform the electoral system.
The issue is seen as urgent since the Supreme Court ruled in March 2011 that the vote-value disparity was "in a state of unconstitutionality" in some districts during the August 2009 general election, and urged lawmakers to finally fix the problem.
Although the Liberal Democratic Party is calling on Noda to dissolve the Lower House during the current Diet session that runs through Sept 8., analysts say this may not happen until next year because many executives in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan hope to avoid a swift dissolution, fearing they could lose the ensuing election.