Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba calls Oct 27 snap election to rebuild scandal-hit LDP

Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan’s new prime minister, after his victory in the LDP leadership race. A parliamentary vote will confirm his role this Tuesday.

Ishiba plans to hold a snap general election on 27 October, with the current parliament set to be dissolved on 9 October ahead of official campaigning.

While the lower house faces dissolution, the upper house continues its term, scheduled to end in July 2025. It will not be involved in this election.

Ishiba aims to rebuild the LDP’s public image after a series of scandals that led to his predecessor’s resignation. He seeks to use his popularity to stabilise the party.

Despite a drop in support, the LDP still holds 258 of the 465 seats in the lower house, making it the dominant political party in Japan’s fragmented landscape.

The main opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party, holds 99 seats, while other contenders include the Japan Innovation Party and coalition partner Komeito.

The LDP’s approval rating dropped to 25.5% in June, its lowest since 2012. However, it saw a recovery to 31.3% in early September, according to NHK polls.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan holds a low approval rating of 6.6%, making it a distant second to the LDP as voters gear up for the election.

The conservative Japan Innovation Party remains strong in the western city of Osaka, holding 45 seats. It is another key player in the political competition.

The LDP must win 233 seats to maintain a lower-house majority. Securing 261 seats would grant them an “absolute stable majority”, easing legislative control.