ADDS REPORT OF OPPOSITION MERGER
By Islamuddin Sajid and Saadet Gokce
ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan's first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is likely to announce snap elections in the country on Monday, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Hirofumi Yoshimura, whose Japan Innovation Party (JIP) is a junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Takaichi "is expected to announce her plan" Monday, according to the Kyodo news agency.
It added that the prime minister has "signaled her intention to dissolve" the lower house of the parliament, soon after it convenes on Jan. 23.
The 64-year-old Japanese leader was elected as the 104th prime minister of Japan in October.
Her LDP, plus JIP coalition, leads a thin majority in the 465-seat lower house of the bicameral parliament. They remain in the minority in the 225-seat upper house.
In case Takaichi calls for snap elections, the official campaigning for a general election may start either Jan. 27 or Feb. 3, with voting set for Feb. 8 or Feb. 15, respectively, according to the news agency.
Since the current lower house of the Japanese parliament, locally known as Diet, was elected in October 2024, the general elections are originally scheduled no later than October 2028.
Of the 465 seats, 289 are allocated to single-seat constituencies, and 176 are assigned under the proportional representation system.
- Talk of new centrist party by opposition parties
The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) and smaller Komeito, which broke more than 25 years of coalition with LDP last year, are deliberating about forming a new centrist party, according to Kyodo News.
Executives from the two parties are expected to hold talks Thursday to decide on the future direction, according to the Asahi newspaper.
If the talks mature, it could potentially change the dynamics of the lower house election.
Currently, the CDP has 148 seats, while Komeito boasts 24 lawmakers.