The country’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will inform senior party officials of her plan to call a general election to capitalise on strong public support for her government, media reports said.
Takaichi was appointed Japan’s first woman prime minister in October and her Cabinet is enjoying an approval rating of around 70%.
But her ruling bloc only has a slim majority in the powerful lower house of parliament, hindering its ability to push through her ambitious policy agenda.
At a meeting yesterday, Takaichi “will tell senior officials of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) her intention of dissolving the lower house” on Jan 23, the business daily Nikkei Shimbun reported, citing unnamed sources from the government and the LDP.
That would pave the way for a snap election, “aiming to increase the number of ruling party seats”, the Nikkei said.
Public broadcaster NHK also reported that Takaichi “is coordinating” a meeting with senior officials to explain her plan.
The meeting with LDP heavyweights and members of the party’s coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, was due to take place late yesterday, TV Asahi said.
Top government spokesman Minoru Kihara declined to comment on the reports, saying it was “a decision for the Prime Minister to make”.
If Takaichi dissolves the lower house on Jan 23, which is the start of a regular parliament session, the most likely election date would be Feb 8, various media reported.
By keeping short the period between parliament dissolution and a general election, Takaichi hopes to curb the election’s impact on parliamentary debate over the budget Bill for the upcoming fiscal year, the Yomiuri said.
Takaichi’s Cabinet approved a record ¥122.3 trillion (RM3 trillion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026, and she has vowed to get parliamentary approval as soon as possible to address inflation and shore up the economy.
Takaichi became Japan’s fifth premier in as many years when she was elected, initially as the head of a minority government.
Her LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, regained their lower-house majority in November after three lawmakers joined the LDP. The ruling bloc remains a minority in the upper house. — AFP
