Reference News Network, January 20 report: According to the website of Singapore's "United Daily News", Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Yosuke announced on January 23 the dissolution of the House of Representatives, with the campaign starting on the 27th and voting on February 8. She is gambling her political life, saying "if I lose the election, I am ready to resign," hoping that the ruling coalition will win a majority of seats in the election and consolidate the government.
With rising prices being a major concern for Japanese families, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komeito Party announced measures to "cut food consumption tax" to seek public support.
Hashimoto ran for the LDP's presidential election for the third time on October 4 last year and became prime minister. At a press conference on the 19th, she said that dissolving the House of Representatives this time was to allow the people to directly elect the prime minister.
"I have put my prime ministerial position on the line for this election, hoping that the people will directly decide whether they trust Hashimoto Yosuke to govern the country. If the LDP and Komeito win a majority of seats, then Hashimoto Yosuke will continue as prime minister. Although it is an indirect election, it also means the people will directly choose the prime minister." Hashimoto thus expressed her greatest victory, which is leading the ruling party bloc to secure at least 233 seats, a majority, in the upcoming general election.
In terms of foreign affairs and security, she believes it is also necessary to gain support through this election. The Japanese newspaper "Mainichi Shimbun" noted that Hashimoto's biggest wish is to "restore the LDP's absolute majority of seats" to escape the situation of policy coordination with other parties.
Due to the short interval of only 16 days between the dissolution and the vote, the opposition parties have strongly criticized Hashimoto's early election, arguing that she is merely considering her own political interests, taking advantage of her high popularity to manipulate public opinion.
The Japanese newspaper "Asahi Shimbun" pointed out that winning the support of independent voters is crucial in this election. There is also an atmosphere of unease within the LDP about Hashimoto's early election, questioning "Can Hashimoto's popularity really lead the LDP to victory?"
Currently, attention is focused on the new party "Centrist Reform Alliance" formed by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito, which is expected to have about 170 members of the House of Representatives participating in this new party.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7597278499560342043/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.