Japan's Diet convened for an extraordinary session on Thursday. Key issues for debate are political funds reform and a draft supplementary budget for a new economic stimulus package.

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

The Upper House appointed the chairs of the chamber's standing committees and set up special committees as they opened the plenary session on Thursday morning.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru told reporters that taking into account the Lower House election results, he will manage Diet proceedings 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 will seek the passage of a supplementary budget plan and revisions to the political funds control law.

Noda Yoshihiko, the president of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said he wants to show the public what can happen as a result of making the governing coalition lose its majority.

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

Noda criticized the government's supplementary budget plan, saying it emphasizes the size of spending, and said his party will debate the plan by presenting its own economic stimulus measures.

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

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

The extraordinary session is scheduled to run for 24 days through December 21.