TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio reiterated Wednesday that he has no plans to call an election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, anytime soon.

“I’m not considering now dissolving the Lower House for a snap election,” Kishida told a parliamentary committee meeting.

Kishida said that his government faces a host of challenges, including strengthening the country’s defenses, overhauling its energy policy and beefing up its child welfare support. “First, we need to focus on those policies,” he said.

Speculation that Kishida will call a snap Lower House election before parliament concludes its current session on June 21 has been growing as his public approval ratings have been recovering.

Kishida feels confident about his political fortune also because of his recent diplomatic achievements, including his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol that opened the way for improved ties between the two countries and his trip to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

JIJI Press