Ishiba dissolves Lower House for snap election

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the Lower House of parliament on Wednesday for a general election, as Ishiba stressed the importance of winning a mandate from the public following his LDP leadership victory late last month.

Ishiba’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, are aiming to maintain their dominance in parliament despite facing political setbacks stemming from a political funds scandal.

The prime minister announced in the morning that the government would dissolve the Lower House for a snap election on Oct. 27, with campaigning set to begin on Oct. 15.

The move came just eight days after Ishiba became prime minister, setting a postwar record for the shortest interval between a Japanese leader taking office and the dissolution of the Lower House.

During the election campaign, key issues are expected to include political reforms addressing the LDP’s political funds scandals and economic measures to tackle rising prices.

Information from Jiji added