Japan’s incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is reportedly preparing to call a snap general election for October 27, according to multiple media sources on September 30.
Ishiba, 67, secured leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on September 27 and is set to be sworn in as prime minister on October 1. He is finalizing plans to dissolve Parliament on October 9, paving the way for the polls, as reported by public broadcaster NHK and Japan’s four main national dailies, although no sources were cited.
On September 27, Ishiba expressed his intention to call an election “as soon as possible” to strengthen his mandate but did not confirm a specific date.
The former defense minister succeeded outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as leader of the LDP, which has maintained a near-unbroken grip on Japanese politics for decades. Kishida’s resignation followed a damaging party slush fund scandal that further eroded his popularity among voters frustrated by rising prices.
Reacting to Ishiba’s victory, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei share average dropped over 4% on September 30, as investors responded to a sharply stronger yen and Ishiba’s perceived stance as a monetary policy hawk.
