The Liberal Democratic Party’s newly elected President, Shigeru Ishiba, is aiming to secure an early victory in the upcoming general election on October 27. The decision to hold the election soon was based on advice from senior party members, including Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP’s new secretary general. Ishiba’s appointments for party executives and his cabinet are said to reflect the views of former prime ministers and reward those who supported him in the party’s presidential election. However, it remains to be seen whether these choices will be met with public approval.
Ishiba believes it is better to seek a public mandate for the new administration as early as possible. He plans to present material that will help voters decide who to vote for during debates against other parties’ leaders at an extraordinary Diet session set for Tuesday. Ishiba hopes to dissolve the lower house on October 9 and make his diplomatic debut at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations related summit scheduled for October 10-11 in Laos.
During his campaign for LDP president, Ishiba had expressed caution about dissolving the lower house in the near term due to uncertainties in global affairs. However, he now argues that asking people to pass judgment on a new administration aligns with Article 69 of Japan’s Constitution.
The advantage of dissolving the lower house early was explained by Hiroshi Moriyama when accepting his post as secretary general of LDP. Dissolving it soon would allow them to ride on momentum from their leadership race. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also shared this view.
It is common for a cabinet’s approval rating to decline over time due to scandals involving cabinet members and other factors. Taro Aso experienced this during his term as prime minister in September 2008 when he missed the optimal time for dissolution and suffered a crushing defeat in subsequent elections.
With concerns within LDP about avoiding a repeat of such circumstances, many are hoping that an early dissolution will give them an advantage before their current term expires in October 2025.
