Japanese Prime Minister Suga intends to dissolve parliament in mid-September, delaying the middle of the party leader’s race

TOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga intends to dissolve parliament’s lower house in mid-September following a reshuffle of the ruling party’s executive and cabinet this week next, the Mainichi newspaper reported Tuesday afternoon, citing government sources. .

Suga will delay the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader’s dispute initially scheduled for Sept. 29 until after the general election, Mainichi said, adding that the prime minister is considering holding the Oct. 17 election.

The report comes after several days of tense negotiations and sudden turns involving Suga and the most powerful politicians in the ruling camp, as the unpopular prime minister maneuvers to stay in the top job.

Earlier Tuesday, the media said Suga planned to replace the party’s long-term ally who would help him succeed Shinzo Abe last September, Toshihiro Nikai, in the key post of party general secretary.

Some lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of power held by 82-year-old Nikai, who has held office with control over campaign funds since August 2016, the longest in party history. .

Suga’s rival for the party’s leader, former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, angered Nikai after proposing limits on executive positions and promising to promote young, middle-class lawmakers over heavyweights last week.

A plan has emerged within the administration to convene a special session of parliament from Sept. 14-16 and dissolve the lower house, Mainichi said.

He added that Suga decided to dissolve the lower house to move the race to the LDP leadership after the election, as he has struggled to consolidate support for the party and it is likely that opponents like Kishida will gather votes from those opposed to the prime minister. .

Suga will instruct his party and his government to come up with economic stimulus measures and an extra budget to help fund them within the week, Kyodo reported, citing a senior official from the unnamed ruling party.

Suga’s move to replace Nikai “certainly” was aimed at helping him gain the support of big parties, such as Suga’s predecessor Shinzo Abe, and Finance Minister Taro Aso, said Corey Wallace, professor assistant at Kanagawa University.

“It’s about the use of party funds and the distribution of party publications,” Wallace said. “Nikai was not particularly popular within the party and I think no one would have tolerated him more after his long run.”

Abe’s stance will be closely monitored given his influence on two larger factions of the LDP – his own group Hosoda and the second largest faction led by Aso – as well as among the conservative wing of the LDP, they say. the experts.

Suga’s support scores are record lows as it failed to capitalize on the delivery of the Olympics for the country, being hit by a new wave of coronavirus infections. The government has declared a fourth state of emergency in most of Japan amid a slow deployment of vaccinations.

The LDP and its allies are not expected to lose a majority of their coalition in the powerful lower house, but forecasts suggest Suga’s party could lose its direct majority, a result that would weaken anyone who leads the LDP.

Report by Leika Kihara and Antoni Slodkowski; Additional reports by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Daniel Leussink and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Edited by Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle, Nick Macfie and David Gregorio

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