TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may dissolve the country’s lower house of parliament if the opposition submits a no-confidence vote on Friday, and the dissolution would come the same day, Fuji TV reported.
Speculation that Kishida would call an election has intensified as his public approval ratings rose after he hosted the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, his home base.
An election for parliament’s more powerful lower house is not due until 2025. Kishida is looking to solidify his strength in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ahead of a leadership race next fall, to ensure his re-election.
Kishida sidestepped queries on plans for a snap election at a news conference Tuesday night, saying numerous factors would govern the decision, as the approaching end of the parliament session could make for a fluid political situation.
The LDP’s parliamentary majority all but guarantees that its president will be prime minister.
(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Gerry Doyle)
