(Update 3) Japan's Lower House Dissolved for Oct. 27 Election

   Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, was dissolved on Wednesday, and the cabinet of new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided the same day to hold a general election on Oct. 27, with the official campaign period beginning on Tuesday.
   The campaign is expected to focus on efforts to restore trust in politics, as the upcoming general election is the first since the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was rocked by a high-profile "slush fund" scandal. The previous Lower House election took place in October 2021.
   Ishiba told a press conference on Wednesday evening that the LDP-Komeito ruling coalition will aim to maintain a majority in the Lower House. "We cannot advance politics without the people's understanding and sympathy," the prime minister said.
   Ishiba, who took office on Oct. 1, opted for an early general election to take advantage of his new administration's sense of renewal, amid strong headwinds against his party.
   The Lower House was dissolved just eight days after the new cabinet was launched, and the general election will be held 26 days after the cabinet launch. Both periods are the shortest in the country's post-World War II history.

(2024/10/09-21:35)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.