Japan’s Takaichi poised to call snap election just 4 months after taking office

Senior figures in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party are preparing for a possible snap election following reports over the weekend that prime minister Sanae Takaichi was planning to dissolve the parliament later this month.

According to Kyodo News, Ms Takaichi has informed a party executive of her intention to call a general election when the regular session of the Diet begins on 23 January.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of the Japan Innovation Party, a partner in the ruling coalition, told the state broadcaster NHK that he met Ms Takaichi on Friday and sensed her thinking on calling an election had moved into a “new stage”.

“I would not be surprised if she made the decision as reported by the media,” Mr Yoshimura said.

On Friday, local media reported that Ms Takaichi was weighing a snap election on 8 or 15 February. Mr Yoshimura said while he and the prime minister had spoken, they had not discussed the precise timing of any potential vote.

If the Lower House is dissolved, the official campaign can start on 27 January or 3 February, setting the stage for a vote on 9 February or 15 February. A source told Kyodo News that Ms Takaichi was expected to make her decision shortly.

The election would be the first under Ms Takaichi’s leadership. She became Japan’s first woman prime minister in October, forming a governing alliance with the Japan Innovation Party after Komeito withdrew from its coalition with the LDP over a fundraising scandal.

According to The Japan Times, the prime minister is seeking to capitalise on her strong approval rating to boost her party’s seat tally. A poll released over the weekend put her approval at 78.1 per cent, up 2.3 points from a month earlier and one of the highest for a Japanese leader in recent years.

The ruling coalition holds a narrow majority in the parliament’s lower house after three independents joined its caucus, giving Ms Takaichi enough backing to push through key budget bills without relying on the opposition. However, the coalition still lacks control of the upper house, leaving the parliament effectively divided.

On Tuesday, Ms Takaichi met South Korean president Lee Jae Myung in her hometown of Nara and she is scheduled to host Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday.

There are already signs of the ruling party preparing for a campaign. “I will be ready for the battle. Please root for me,” party veteran and former foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Facebook, linking to a news report about a potential snap election.

Chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara has formally notified the lower house steering committee that the regular Diet session will begin on 23 January.

The committee, which oversees parliamentary scheduling, adjourned without making any decision after saying that it needed to confirm reports of a possible dissolution of the parliament, The Japan Times reported on Tuesday.