Japan PM Takaichi Dissolves Lower House For Feb 8 Election To Seek Mandate

TOKYO, Jan 23 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved Japan's House of Representatives on Friday for a snap general election on Feb 8, seeking a public mandate to push through her economic and security policy agenda with her new coalition partner, Kyodo News reported.

The dissolution of the lower house at the outset of the ordinary parliamentary session effectively kicked off a short campaign period for the election, with the ruling and opposition camps both floating the idea of lifting the consumption tax on food to ease the burden on inflation-hit households.

On Friday morning, Takaichi's Cabinet approved the plan to dissolve the 465-seat chamber. While prime ministers have the authority to dissolve the lower house, it is the first dissolution at the start of a regular session in 60 years.

With lawmakers' current terms scheduled to expire in 2028, Takaichi has justified her decision to call an election by arguing she has yet to receive public backing for her premiership that began in October and the new ruling coalition of her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party formed the same month.

The election will also see candidates running for a new opposition bloc, the Centrist Reform Alliance launched by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Komeito party, the LDP's former coalition partner for 26 years.

With the ruling coalition considering a suspension of the consumption tax on food, and the opposition alliance proposing scrapping it on such items altogether, securing alternative financial resources is expected to garner attention during campaigning, amid prolonged price increases.

The issue of politics and money, following a slush fund scandal that has hit the LDP in recent years, and matters related to foreign residents and tourists are also likely to feature in election debates.

While Takaichi's Cabinet enjoys high support ratings, the ruling bloc only holds a razor-thin majority in the lower chamber and remains a minority in the House of Councillors, forcing it to cooperate with opposition parties in passing bills.

Takaichi's decision earlier this week to set the election date just 16 days after the lower house dissolution, the shortest interval in the postwar era, has been criticised for leaving voters little time to assess competing policy proposals.

Opposition parties have also slammed Takaichi for calling an election ahead of parliament's enactment of an initial budget for fiscal 2026 starting April, accusing her of prioritising political considerations.

The previous lower house election was held in October 2024.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO