The Japanese Diet met for a special session on Thursday. The main issues to be debated are the reform of political funds and a draft supplementary budget for a new economic recovery plan.

The session will be the first full-fledged debate since the governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito lost its majority in last month’s Lower House elections.

The Upper House appointed chairmen of the chamber’s standing committees and set up special committees when the plenary session opened Thursday morning.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru told reporters that, given the results of the Lower House elections, he would conduct the Diet’s work by listening more carefully than before to the opinions of other parties. He said he wants the Diet debate to be open to the public and lead to conclusions that will gain public understanding.

Ishiba reiterated that he would seek adoption of a supplemental budget plan and revisions to the Political Funds Control Law.

Noda Yoshihiko, chairman of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said he wanted to show the public what can happen if the governing coalition loses its majority.

He said the Diet is like a subcontracting body that discusses what has been decided by the ruling parties, and he wants this session to bring change in this area.

Noda criticized the government’s supplemental budget plan, saying it emphasizes the scale of spending, and said his party would debate the plan by presenting its own economic recovery measures.

Prime Minister Ishiba will deliver his policy speech on Friday and a question and answer session will be held for three days starting on Monday.

Ishiba will face his first budget committee sessions as prime minister on Thursday and Friday.

The extraordinary session is expected to last 24 days until December 21.