Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve parliament for a snap election, aiming to capitalise on high approval ratings and strengthen her ruling bloc’s majority.
TOKYO: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will inform senior party officials of her plan to call a snap general election, Japanese media reported.
Takaichi aims to capitalise on her cabinet’s strong approval rating of around 70% to increase her ruling bloc’s slim majority in parliament.
Her plan is to dissolve the powerful lower house on January 23, according to the Nikkei Shimbun daily.
This would pave the way for an election, with February 8 cited as the most likely date by various media outlets.
Top government spokesman Minoru Kihara declined to comment, saying it was “a decision for the prime minister to make”.
A short campaign period would curb the election’s impact on debate over the record 122.3 trillion yen budget for the next fiscal year.
Takaichi has vowed to get parliamentary approval for the budget quickly to address inflation and shore up the economy.
Her Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner regained their lower-house majority in November after three lawmakers joined the LDP.
The ruling bloc remains a minority in the upper house of parliament.
A bigger majority would help implement her agenda of more “proactive” fiscal spending.
It may also help break the deadlock in a spat with China over her comments on Taiwan.
