Tokyo, Sep 7 (IANS) A successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will likely be chosen during a Diet session scheduled to convene on October 1, Japanese media reported on Saturday.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its next president on September 27.
Both houses of parliament are controlled by the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito, so it is a formality that the winner will be the next prime minister, Kyodo news agency reports.
The government is arranging the programme, which will be finalised by Kishida’s cabinet at the end of September.
If the next prime minister decides to dissolve the powerful House of Representatives soon after being chosen, the earliest elections could be October 27, Kyodo reports. And if the new leader needs more time, the next possible date would be November 10.
Fumio Kishida is stepping down at the end of his three-year term later this month. Seven or more candidates are expected to run in the LDP leadership election.
Kishida was elected as prime minister on September 29, 2021. He dissolved the lower house on October 14 that year for a general election on October 31.
Lawmakers worry the next prime minister could follow the previous leader’s lead and call an early general election before his initial popularity wanes. If past trends are to be believed, campaigning could begin on Oct. 15 and voting could take place on Oct. 27. This will coincide with an Upper House by-election in Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan.
Another possibility is to start the election campaign on October 29 and hold the elections on November 10.
This time frame will give the new prime minister the opportunity to attend ASEAN-related meetings in Laos around October 10. The November 3 election looks difficult, as it will fall during a three-day holiday in Japan.
–IANS
AKS/AS
