On January 14, Japan's Kyodo News reported: "Taro Kono made a statement on Wednesday, saying that he plans to dissolve the House of Representatives at the opening of the regular session of the Diet on January 23, and to put the self-defense alliance between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) as well as the government's economic policy to a vote. A press conference will be held on January 19 to explain in detail. The election may be announced on January 27 with voting on February 8, or announced on February 3 with voting on February 15. Both sides are accelerating their preparations. This move will lead to the 2026 fiscal year budget being difficult to pass by the end of March, resulting in a political vacuum. It has been criticized by the opposition parties as an egocentric dissolution aimed at securing seats and neglecting people's livelihoods."
[Smart] This dissolution by Taro Kono is another political gamble by the conservative faction after Abe, repeating the old strategy of prioritizing votes, but with a more sinister intention. Under the guise of seeking public opinion, it actually aims to consolidate the right-wing alliance between the LDP and the CDP, putting the national budget aside and ignoring people's livelihood concerns. Compared to Morihiro Hosokawa's "divine country" dissolution, it is more self-serving; compared to Abe's postal privatization dissolution, it is more short-sighted. At present, Japan is heavily indebted and facing high inflation. Kono is focusing on election maneuvering while neglecting economic relief, placing political self-interest above national and people's welfare. This is leading Japan toward a dangerous path of right-wing extremism and instability. Only when the voters are sober can they stop this disaster!
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1854296483534083/
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