Decision of Early Snap Election

The President of Liberal Democratic Party Shigeru Ishiba decided to call a snap election of the House of Representatives, which will be voted on October 27. While he was considering the schedule to be after detailed discussion over his policies in the Diet, he leaned on early dissolution of the House, accepting offers of LDP leaders. Ishiba mostly finished selection of members of his Cabinet and LDP board, from which his political enemies were excluded.

Ishiba is going to be elected 102th Prime Minister of Japan in the first day of an extraordinary session of the Diet convoked on October 1. He will establish his Cabinet with appointment of ministers on the same day, and make his policy speech on October 4. He will take questions on his policy from the parties in Plenary Sessions of both Houses on October 7 and 8, and call dissolution of the House of Representatives on October 9.

 

The general election of the House of Representatives will be proclaimed on October 15 and voted on October 27. Although dissolution of the House of Representatives and proclamation of general election are Emperor’s acts in matters of state, stipulated in the Constitution of Japan, Article 3 of the constitution determines that the advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state.

 

Ishiba picked Hiroshi Moriyama, Chairman of General Council under the president Kishida, for Secretary General of the LDP. Moriyama recommended Ishiba to have an early snap election before the opposition parties appeal their offensive position through the policy discussion in the Diet. Other party leaders, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and former Premier Yoshihide Suga, shared the same notion as Moriyama’s. Ishiba accepted Moriyama’s offer.

 

In the selection of members of his cabinet and party board, Ishiba focused on defense policy and formulating integrated posture for the party. He appointed Takeshi Iwaya to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gen Nakatani to Minister of Defense, Yoshimasa Hayashi to Chief Cabinet Secretary and Itsunori Onodera to LDP Chairman of Policy Research Council. Those five people have experienced Minister of Defense in the past. It can be said Ishiba’s “defense shift.”

 

Ishiba was successful in including Taro Aso, who voted for Sanae Takaichi in LDP presidential election, in his administration as LDP Supreme Advisor. Moriyama persuaded Aso to accept that position. By appointing Hayashi and Onodera, Ishiba rewarded for the support in the election by their boss, Kishida. By appointing Suga to Vice-president and his protégé, Shinjiro Koizumi, to LDP election strategy chief, Ishiba thanked Suga’s support in the run-off votes. With support from Aso, Kishida and Suga, Ishiba expects firm political basis with extended wings.

 

However, hawkish Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi refused offer from Ishiba for party leader’s position. Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi will be free from any posts of Ishiba administration. They may cause future power struggle against Ishiba, when Ishiba administration loses power with some reasons, such as economic decline or significant loss of Diet seats in the elections.

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