Japan PM dissolves parliament for 'honeymoon' snap election

TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved parliament on Wednesday ahead of Oct. 27 snap elections, banking on his honeymoon popularity and a fragmented opposition to lead his scandal-tainted party to victory.

Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, albeit with frequent leader changes, and is almost certain to be re-elected.

But Ishiba, named prime minister just last week, wants to shore up his mandate to push through policies that include beefing up spending on defence as well as on poorer regions hit by Japan's demographic crisis.

"We want to face this election fairly and sincerely, so as for this government to obtain [public] trust," Ishiba told reporters on Oct. 9.

The three-year government of Ishiba's predecessor Fumio Kishida suffered record-low approval ratings due to a slush fund scandal and voter discontent over rising prices.

Polls last week gave Ishiba's cabinet approval ratings of 45-50 percent, compared with 20-30 percent for the Kishida administration's final month.

Ishiba's backers hope the self-confessed defence "geek" and outspoken critic of the LDP establishment will boost the party's popularity, including by persuading disillusioned young people to vote.

By dissolving parliament now, the 67-year-old wants to put his party to the test before his "honeymoon" period ends, said Yu Uchiyama, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo.

"It makes sense that he wanted to call a snap election as soon as the 'face' of the party changed, while the momentum is still there", he told AFP.