The House of Representatives Dissolved

The House of Representatives was dissolved on October 9 and all the members of the House were immediately displaced. The Shigeru Ishiba Cabinet decided that the general election of the House would be proclaimed on October 15 and be voted on October 27. It is likely that the leading parties, a coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party, and the opposition parties will argue in the campaign over political reform to rebuild public confidence on politics.

Article 7 of the Constitution of Japan stipulates that dissolution of the House of Representatives is one of the acts in matters of state of the Emperor. In Plenary Session of the House, the Speaker of the House, Fukushiro Nukaga, read an imperial decree, saying “I dissolve the House of Representatives based on Article 7 of the Constitution of Japan.”

 

The constitution is interpreted that the prime minister has power to dissolve the house, because the Emperor does not have political power and his acts in matters of state should be performed with advice and approval of the Cabinet. Ishiba once questioned that interpretation to be inappropriate, arguing that arbitral exercise of the power in a preferable timing would violate context of the constitution. However, he chose an early snap election, because it looked to be preferable to the LDP. He explained that a new prime minister should be judged by the voters as early as possible.

 

The biggest issue in the campaign must be how to rebuild the people’s confidence to the politics, which has been eroded by the slush fund scandal of the LDP. Ishiba announced the result of selection of candidates in the general election that 12 LDP members among 48 who had failed in reporting fund from their factions would not get official endorsement from the party. Other 36 will receive official endorsement from the LDP, but they will not be on the list for proportional districts.

 

In the Question Time of the Diet a couple of hours before declaration of dissolution, the leader of Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda, accused Ishiba that he decided to endorse most of the LDP members who failed reporting secret fund. To Noda’s question on treatment of the candidates who would be winning the election without LDP’s official endorsement, Ishiba indicated possibility of endorsing them after the election.

 

The opposition parties already announced their campaign policies. The CDP and Japan Innovation Party, or Nippon Ishin-no Kai, proposed prohibition of donation from companies and organizations, abolishment of policy activities fund, disclosure of fund for research and study, and regulation on heredity of seats.

 

The LDP occupied 258 seats out of 465 in the House of Representatives just before dissolution. Komeito had 32. It is likely that the LDP will reduce certain number of its seats, because of negative impact of the slush fund scandal. The LDP hopes to keep at least 233 of simple majority as the sum of LDP and Komeito. If the coalition sinks below the simple majority, it is possible that the LDP will drop out of the administration. Even if the coalition keeps majority, Ishiba administration will be unstable with internal protests in the LDP, depending on the number of reduction in seats.

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