Japan PM Ishiba dissolves lower house for Oct. 27 election
Baku, October 9, AZERTAC
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday dissolved Japan's House of Representatives for a snap election slated for Oct. 27, defying opposition party criticism of his hasty decision to seek a fresh mandate, according to Kyodo News.
Just eight days after taking office, Ishiba's move to dissolve the lower house is the fastest by a postwar leader. His ruling Liberal Democratic Party, embroiled in a slush funds scandal, and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, control the 465-member chamber.
Ishiba's Cabinet approved the dissolution plan in the morning and will finalize the schedule for campaigning to start on Oct. 15. The prime minister will hold a press conference later Wednesday.
As lower house speaker Fukushiro Nukaga announced the dissolution, chamber members stood up and shouted "banzai," a customary way of indicating that they have lost their seats.
The current term of lower house members ends in October 2025, by which time an election must be held. Under Japan's Constitution, prime ministers have the authority to dissolve the chamber at their discretion.
"I've decided to dissolve the chamber to seek a direct judgment from the public because it is critical that we continue to run the government to protect Japan and its people," Ishiba said in a one-on-one parliamentary debate with opposition leaders on Wednesday.
Yoshihiko Noda, a former prime minister who now heads the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, lashed out at Ishiba for trying to deflect voter attention from the issue of "secret money," referring to revelations that LDP members had failed to report political funds properly.
"You are dissolving the house early," thinking that the LDP "can secure a victory during the honeymoon period," when new leaders tend to enjoy an initial rise in public support, Noda told Ishiba.
The prime minister previously said he would allow sufficient time for opposition leaders to pose questions to him in parliament. The CDPJ has been urging the government to draft an extra budget for the current fiscal year through next March to support recovery efforts in areas affected by an earthquake and heavy rain in central Japan.
Ishiba, prior to being elected prime minister, announced last month his intention to dissolve the lower house, prompting a backlash from opposition parties over what they saw as an about-face and disregard for the Constitution.
The previous general election was held in 2021, shortly after Fumio Kishida became prime minister.
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