Kishida 日 New Prime Minister "Lower House Election to be Held on 31st After 4 Years"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Fumio Kishida, Japan's new Prime Minister, announced that the House of Representatives election (general election) will be held on the 31st of this month.

At his first press conference after taking office at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on the 4th, Prime Minister Kishida announced the schedule to dissolve the House of Representatives on the 14th, officially announce it on the 19th, and hold the general election on the 31st. Initially, the election was expected to be held on the 7th or 14th of next month, but it has been moved up.

With the COVID-19 situation calming down and expectations for the new cabinet high, it appears that the ruling party is eager to seek voters' judgment while in a favorable position. This general election is the first in four years since the October 22, 2017 election during the Abe administration.

On the same day, Kishida was elected as Japan's 100th Prime Minister by both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. After announcing the cabinet members, the Kishida Cabinet officially launched around 8 p.m. following the investiture ceremony where Emperor Naruhito presented the appointment letters and the cabinet members were formally certified.

Immediately after Prime Minister Kishida's press conference, the first Cabinet meeting was held. Previously, after each Cabinet meeting, new ministers held individual press conferences at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, but this time the format was changed to have each ministry hold their own press conferences on the 5th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.