Snap election odds spike as Abe senses opportunity

Sep 17, 2017 | News On Japan

Sep 17, 2017 (Nikkei) - Rumblings are building within Japan's government and ruling camp that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will call a snap election in the near future, The Nikkei has learned.

Abe is apparently weighing a dissolution of the lower house as early as the end of this month, with a general election to follow in October.

The plan is rooted in the assumption that an early dissolution would work to the advantage of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito. The Democratic Party, the main opposition group, is mired in turmoil, with multiple members reportedly looking to defect.

Another goal would be to head off the advance of Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First) onto the national political scene. The face of the group is Tokyo's popular governor, Yuriko Koike.

Abe is expected to make the final call after assessing the North Korea situation. The rogue state's recent missile launches and nuclear test might actually work in the LDP's favor -- the conventional wisdom being that the public will prefer an experienced, relatively hawkish leader like Abe.

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