A snap election might be called in Japan as early as next month, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears inclined to leverage on a rebound in support for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after what has been a bruising year..
A snap election might be called in Japan as early as next month, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears inclined to leverage on a rebound in support for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after what has been a bruising year.
The poll for the 475-seat Lower House is not due until December next year. But Mr Abe has discussed the gambit with officials from the LDP and coalition partner Komeito, domestic media reported yesterday.
“All the Lower House members have now come to believe that the timing of a poll is not so distant,” LDP General Council chairman Wataru Takeshita said.
Mr Abe’s approval ratings, which were under 30 per cent just two months ago, have climbed to 50 per cent in some polls, in a boost helped partly by public jitters over North Korea.
The embattled Prime Minister had also reshuffled his Cabinet by dropping gaffe-prone ministers, and vowed to revise bureaucratic procedures after he was embroiled in two cronyism scandals and the Defence Ministry came under fire for covering up sensitive data.
The main national opposition Democratic Party is meanwhile in utter disarray after a divisive internal leadership election this month, and is facing an exodus of lawmakers.
Polling Day could be on Oct 22 – when three Lower House seats in Aomori, Ehime and Niigata prefectures are up for a by-election – or on Oct 29, reports said.
