Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering dissolving the House of Representatives and holding a snap election if the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) submits a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet, government and ruling party sources said Tuesday.
Ishiba is apparently sending a warning to the CDP at a time when battles between the ruling and opposition camps are intensifying ahead of the June 22 end of the current ordinary session of the Diet, or Japan's parliament, and the subsequent House of Councilors election this summer.
Since the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition currently lacks a majority in the Lower House, a senior government official said, "Dissolving (the Lower House) would be the only option, as a no-confidence motion, if submitted, is expected to be approved (in that chamber)."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.