Japan’s Takaichi: “Snap general election on the 8th next month… I’ll stake my premiership”
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Summary
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi officially announced a snap general election for the 8th next month, saying she is aiming for a ruling-bloc majority.
- Takaichi said she will use the dissolution of the lower house to pursue policies such as proactive fiscal spending and strengthening defense capabilities through revisions to the “Three Security Documents.”
- The report said that if the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito’s new party, the “Centrist Reform Alliance,” consolidates anti-Takaichi votes under a “conservatives versus centrists” framework and gains seats, Takaichi could suffer a serious political blow.
At press conference: “Lower house to be dissolved on the 23rd”
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the 19th officially announced a snap general election. The strategy is to go back to the polls while cabinet approval ratings are at their peak to expand the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s seat count.
At a press conference that day, Takaichi said the House of Representatives (lower house) will be dissolved on the 23rd and a general election will be held on the 8th next month. Explaining the reason for dissolving the chamber, she said it is to let the public decide “whether Sanae Takaichi is fit to serve as prime minister,” stressing that she would “stake her political future as prime minister.”
The House of Representatives has 465 seats. The LDP and its coalition partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai, previously held 196 and 34 seats, respectively, but last November three independents joined the LDP parliamentary group, allowing the bloc to narrowly secure a majority (233 seats). Takaichi said her election goal is “a majority for the ruling parties.”
In Japan, dissolving the lower house is a prime minister’s “trump card” and a “double-edged sword.” Used well, it can swiftly strengthen the administration’s political base, but a loss in the ensuing election would inevitably sap the prime minister’s ability to command support. Takaichi aims to win this time and push policies including proactive fiscal spending and stronger defense capabilities through revisions to the “Three Security Documents.”
In response, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (148 seats) and the third-largest opposition party Komeito (24 seats) recently launched a new party, the “Centrist Reform Alliance.” Their strategy is to create a “conservatives versus centrists” dynamic to consolidate anti-Takaichi votes. If the new party increases its seat share, Takaichi is likely to suffer a serious political blow.
Tokyo=Correspondent Il-gyu Kim black0419@hankyung.com
