Ishiba may seek snap election if no-confidence motion submitted
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to media at his official residence in Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap general election if the main opposition party submits a no-confidence motion, a source close to the government leadership said Monday.
Ishiba, whose coalition holds a minority in the lower house, could take the move before any no-confidence motion is put to a vote in the chamber, the source said. If such a motion is submitted and approved, the prime minister must dissolve the lower house or the cabinet must resign en masse within 10 days.
Ishiba, who doubles as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has told his aides that "a dissolution of the House of Representatives will come in sight if a no-confidence is submitted" from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the source said.
LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama has already shared the idea with other LDP executives, the source said.
If the lower house is dissolved, the chances of holding lower- and upper-house elections at the same time may emerge. The House of Councillors election is slated for this summer, while the House of Representatives election can be held at any time before the four-year term of the current members expires in the fall of 2028.
The source said, however, that some in the government are cautious about a possible dissolution of the lower chamber at a time when Japan faces mounting challenges such as inflation, including high rice prices, and the U.S. tariff regime under President Donald Trump.
Calling a general election would create a political vacuum even under such circumstances and may encourage many voters to react strongly against the LDP-led ruling coalition, the source added.
Both the LDP-led coalition and the CDPJ fell short of the 233-seat threshold to secure a majority in the powerful lower chamber of Japan's parliament in the previous general election held in October.
Last week, the ruling coalition accepted a revision to the government's proposed pension reform plan, a key bill currently under consideration, agreeing to a CDPJ demand to ensure smooth parliamentary deliberations and enactment before the session ends on June 22.
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