Kishida says he won’t call snap election during ongoing Parliament session ending June 21
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Japan's PM Fumio Kishida told reporters he is not thinking of dissolving Parliament during the current session of the Diet.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO - Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday said he would not dissolve Parliament in the coming days, following weeks of speculation that he might do so to call a snap election in the hopes of solidifying his power within the ruling party.
Talk of a dissolution surfaced a few weeks ago as Mr Kishida’s support ratings rose in the days after his hosting of the Group of Seven summit
The speculation intensified as the opposition looked set to submit a no-confidence vote against the government, potentially giving Mr Kishida a reason to dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election.
“I am not thinking about dissolving Parliament during the current session of the Diet,” Mr Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister’s office. The current session ends on June 21.
Asked about the opposition’s possible no-confidence motion, Mr Kishida said he had instructed officials of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to vote against it.
Any such vote would mainly be symbolic, given the LDP’s parliamentary majority.
While some LDP lawmakers had been in favour of an early election given the tailwind of a surging stock market and a fragmented and weak opposition, risks have arisen in recent days.
Criticism has grown over national identification card issues and a furore over a party thrown by his son – his former political secretary – at the prime minister’s official residence. Both situations prompted some LDP policymakers to urge caution about a snap election.
An election for Parliament’s Lower House is not due until 2025, but Mr Kishida faces a party leadership race in 2024.
Several opposition groups, led by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, are preparing to submit a vote of no-confidence opposing a Bill to boost Japan’s defence capabilities. The defence Bill is expected to be voted on in the Upper House of Parliament on Friday.
Japan is struggling to secure funding for planned defence spending
