(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday dissolved the powerful Lower House of parliament for a snap election next month.
At an extraordinary meeting following the dissolution, the Cabinet endorsed his plan to call the election December 14 with launching the official campaign on December second. It will be the first parliamentary election for the Lower House since December, 2012, when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) snatched power away from the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the 480-seat chamber.
The dissolution will test whether the public support Abe's decision on a sales tax hike and "Abenomics" economic policies. At a televised press conference on Tuesday, the premier said he will postpone the scheduled sales tax hike to 10 percent by 18 months until April 2017. Abe, who took office in December 2012, has promoted growth strategies, but the world's third-largest economy contracted for two quarters in a row since the April sales tax hike, from 5 percent to the current 8 percent. The second increase was originally set for October 2015.
Abe stressed the need to listen to the voice of the people on his decision and "Abenomics" policy package. Abe said he will step down if the LDP-led governing coalition fails to secure a majority, or 238 seats, because that would mean their economic policies are rejected.
The number of Lower House seats will be reduced from 480 to 475 in the upcoming election. As of Friday, the LDP has 295 seats in the lower house, and its coalition partner New Komeito has 31. The main opposition DPJ has 57.
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