The vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Friday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is unlikely to dissolve the Lower House for a rare double election in sync with the Upper House poll this summer, citing last month's deadly earthquakes in Kyushu.
"I think we can trust the prime minister's words that he has not at all considered" dissolving the House of Representatives in time for the House of Councilors election in July, Masahiko Komura said.
He added: "Whether a double election is feasible amid the earthquakes is a major matter he must consider," he said during a visit to Beijing.
Thousands of people are still living in evacuation centers in Kumamoto Prefecture, where municipal offices have sustained damage. Additionally, aftershocks continue to rattle the region after the magnitude-6.5 and magnitude-7.3 quakes struck last month.
On the other hand, Komura did not rule out a third postponement of the second stage of the consumption tax hike scheduled for April next year, citing the global economic slowdown and the impact of the Kumamoto quakes.
He said the decision on the tax hike can be deferred until after the Upper House election.
Regarding Abe's push to revise the Constitution, Komura said Abe is unlikely to be seeking any change in war-renouncing Article 9 during his term in office.
"He hopes to revise as much as possible the parts on which he can gain people's support more easily," Komura said.
Abe has argued that the Constitution is a product of the U.S.-led Occupation and is outdated in some areas.