divided legislature; split parliament
Refers to a situation where different parties control the upper and lower houses, leading to political gridlock. Often used in Japanese political contexts. Compare with ねじれ国会, which specifically refers to the national Diet.
See also: ねじれ国会
Because of the divided legislature, passing the budget bill is facing difficulties.
The governor is struggling to coordinate with the split parliament.
Standard spelling using the kana for ねじれ and kanji for 議会.
Kanji spelling using 捩れ, which is less common and may be harder to read.
Compound of ねじれ (twisted, from the verb ねじれる) and 議会 (legislature, assembly). The term metaphorically describes a legislature where the two houses are controlled by opposing parties, creating a 'twisted' or deadlocked situation.