Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering calling an early election if the opposition submits a no-confidence motion to parliament Friday, broadcaster FNN said, citing sources close to the government and ruling parties.
It remains unclear whether the motion will be submitted and Kishida told reporters Tuesday he would carefully assess the situation in deciding when to call the election. There has been speculation in local media that the vote could come as soon as next month, or in the autumn.
Given the relatively weak support for opposition parties, Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is likely to remain in power, as it has done almost continuously since its formation in 1955.
The vote would, however, come amid a rift with the LDP’s long-time coalition partner Komeito triggered by the redrawing of constituency lines to reflect the ongoing drift of the population from the rural strongholds for Kishida’s party to urban areas. Komeito is backed by a lay Buddhist group with the capacity to turn out millions of votes nationwide.
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A recent recovery in support for Kishida seems to be petering out and the LDP risks losing some seats to the upstart Japan Innovation Party, which gathered momentum in local elections earlier in the year and is seeking to become the largest opposition force.
Support for Kishida’s cabinet has slipped slightly in two recent media surveys. A poll by public broadcaster NHK conducted June 9-11 found a fall of 3 percentage points to 43%, while a separate poll by JNN a week earlier found approval down 0.5 percentage points at 46.7%.
