TOKYO: ISHIBA Shigeru, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s new leader and Japan’s incoming prime minister, unveiled plans at a press conference Monday to hold a general election on Oct. 27.

Ishiba is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, on Oct. 9 for a snap election for which the official campaign period would begin on Oct. 15.

“It’s important for a new administration to receive the judgment of the people as early as possible,” Ishiba said after launching the LDP’s new leadership team earlier on Monday.

Ishiba, who was elected LDP leader on Friday, is all but certain to be named prime minister to succeed KISHIDA Fumio on Tuesday at an extraordinary Diet session to be convened that day. He will launch his cabinet later on Tuesday.

At Monday’s press conference, the LDP chief said he knew that it was unusual for an incoming prime minister to announce plans for a Lower House dissolution before taking office, but he explained that he did this to give election administration commissions around the country time to prepare for the general election.

Ishiba said that he will “follow a decision by the Diet” on whether to hold meetings of the budget committees of both Diet chambers before a Lower House dissolution, as sought by the opposition side.

He had said during the LDP leadership race that he would hold budget committee meetings. After his election as LDP president, however, Ishiba is leaning toward the idea of holding a parliamentary debate among party leaders, rather than budget committee meetings.

The new LDP chief later met ISHII Keiichi, new leader of Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, to sign a fresh coalition agreement.

Ishiba’s cabinet is expected to include former Defense Minister IWAYA Takeshi, 67, as foreign minister and former Chief Cabinet Secretary KATO Katsunobu, 68, as finance minister. Current Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI Yoshimasa, 63, and land minister SAITO Tetsuo, 72, of Komeito are expected to remain in their respective posts.

A total of 13 people will make their cabinet debuts, including State Minister of Finance AKAZAWA Ryosei, 63, as economic revitalization minister. Two of the new cabinet members will be women.

The LDP’s new leadership team includes former Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide, 75, as party vice president, former party General Council Chairman MORIYAMA Hiroshi, 79, as secretary-general, former Finance Minister SUZUKI Shunichi, 71, as General Council head, former Defense Minister ONODERA Itsunori, 64, as Policy Research Council chief, and former Environment Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro, 43, as Election Strategy Committee chief.

Ishiba also decided the same day to appoint former Prime Minister ASO Taro, 84, as the party’s supreme adviser, former agriculture minister SAKAMOTO Tetsushi, 73, as Diet Affairs Committee chief, former General Council head FUKUDA Tatsuo, 57, as executive acting secretary-general, and former party election head OBUCHI Yuko, 50, as Party Organization and Campaign Headquarters chair.

JIJI Press