Japan’s Election Race Begins With Dissolution of Parliament
- LDP unlikely to lose control of parliament but may lose seats
- Some scandal-tainted lawmakers lose LDP backing for election
A bid by new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to turn his personal popularity into a fresh mandate for the scandal-plagued Liberal Democratic Party began with the dissolution of the lower house of parliament on Wednesday ahead of a national election later this month.
While it’s unlikely the LDP will lose control of the more powerful lower house of parliament in the Oct. 27 vote, the surprise emergence of Ishiba as prime minister is a bid by the party to shore up support by turning to a leader with a cleaner image.