Deputy Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso. Xinhua News Agency

According to Global Times citing Japanese media on the 10th, a source from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) revealed that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeda may dissolve the House of Representatives and hold early elections at the opening of the January 23rd Diet session. However, it has been reported that Deputy Chairman of the LDP, Taro Aso, was not aware of this matter.

Reference News cited Japan's Mainichi Shimbun on the 12th, which reported that according to party sources, including important figures who helped promote the Takeda government, such as LDP Deputy Chairman Taro Aso and LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, who is in charge of election affairs and other party matters, were not informed in advance about the arrangements. According to a close associate of Aso, Aso holds a negative attitude toward dissolving the House of Representatives. Another MP said angrily: "The dissolution plan was entirely formulated by the prime minister's office."

"I have not received any information from the prime minister. Dissolving the House of Representatives is the exclusive power of the prime minister, but the current handling is strange," said a senior figure within the LDP on the 11th, expressing dissatisfaction.

It has been disclosed that there are two clear plans for the election schedule: one is "announcing on January 27th and voting on February 8th", and the other is "announcing on February 3rd and voting on February 15th". Regardless of which schedule is adopted, it indicates that Japan will enter an early election mode at the beginning of the regular Diet session.

Prime Minister Sanae Takeda's move to hold an early election has strong practical motives. The ruling coalition of the LDP and the Japanese Restoration Party holds a slight majority in the House of Representatives, but remains in the minority in the Senate, still lacking six seats to reach a majority. Currently, Takeda's approval rating is still high, and she hopes to dissolve the House of Representatives early to expand the LDP's advantage in the House of Representatives and reduce its reliance on the Japanese Restoration Party, thus consolidating the ruling base more thoroughly.

The act of Takeda dissolving the House of Representatives and holding an early general election has drawn criticism from both the ruling and opposition parties in Japan. On the 11th, the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Hideaki Noda, stated: "This move claims to be to deal with rising prices, but actually creates a political vacuum, which doesn't make sense logically or morally." On the same day, the leader of the National Democratic Party, Yuichiro Tamaki, also pointed out: "Dissolving the House of Representatives at the beginning of the regular Diet session means the ruling party violates its promise."

Original Title: "Takeda's Early Election Has Caused Discontent Within the Party; The Person Who Helped Her Rise to Power, Aso, Was Completely Unaware"

Column Editor: Shen Qinhans, Text Editor: Shen Qinhans, Picture Source: Xinhua News Agency

Source: Author: Su Lishi

Original: toutiao.com/article/7594572887869096500/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.