The ripples of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's hint in a recent speech at an early dissolution of the Lower House and a general election seems to have spread to leading figures in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The LDP's election campaign chairman, Makoto Koga, suggested the election will take place before yearend; his deputy, Yoshihide Suga, concurred, saying now is the time to dissolve the Lower House; Bunmei Ibuki, the party's all-powerful secretary general, said calling an early election might be a good tactic if the Japanese economy is in good shape.
It should be noted, however, that these comments are not merely intended as a forecast but as an attempt to jolt the political landscape and prepare lawmakers for an election so that they're not content to just wait around for the current tenure of Lower House members to run out in August next year.