Japan's Ruling Party Proposes Electing New PM On Oct 1

TOKYO, Sept 18 (Bernama-Kyodo) – Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday proposed electing a successor to outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the start of an extraordinary Diet session on Oct 1, Kyodo News Agency reported.

The winner of the LDP's leadership election on Sept 27 is certain to become prime minister, as both houses of parliament are controlled by the ruling coalition. The new premier must be endorsed by both chambers.

The date is expected to be finalised on Sept 24, lawmakers said, setting the stage for the current Cabinet to formally decide on the schedule that same day. Further details, including the length of the session, will be worked out under the next prime minister.

During a meeting of senior officials in charge of Diet affairs on Wednesday, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) called for securing enough time for the new ruling party chief to deliver a speech and answer questions by opposition leaders, including in the powerful Budget Committee.

The request, made by CDPJ Diet affairs chief Jun Azumi to his LDP counterpart Yasukazu Hamada, came amid growing expectations that the new leader may choose to dissolve the lower house for a snap election soon after taking office.

Of the record nine candidates vying to replace Kishida, whose three-year term as LDP chief ends in late September, the youngest, rising star Shinjiro Koizumi, has said he will seek a public mandate by dissolving the House of Representatives "as soon as possible” if elected.

Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 have been floated as possible dates for the lower house election. It is up to the prime minister to decide when to dissolve the chamber, but the next election must be held by October 2025.

The LDP, its junior coalition partner Komeito, and the CDPJ will each have a new leader in place by September.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO