'By-election Defeat' Japanese Prime Minister: "No Thought of Early Dissolution of the Diet"

In the by-elections for Japan's House of Representatives (lower house), the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a crushing defeat, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drew a line on whether to dissolve the House of Representatives early.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to NHK and other broadcasters, on the 30th, Prime Minister Kishida met with reporters at the official residence and stated, "I will focus on delivering results on each and every issue," adding, "I am not considering (an early dissolution) at all." Previously, when responding to questions about plans to dissolve the House of Representatives, Kishida had prefaced his answers with "for now," but on this day, he did not include such a precondition.

Until now, in Japanese political circles, there had been speculation that Kishida, aiming to run again in the LDP presidential election this September, might dissolve the House of Representatives early around June, the end of the regular Diet session, and then regain his central authority by winning the subsequent general election. However, the LDP suffered defeats in all three by-elections held on the 28th in Tokyo's 15th district, Shimane's 1st district, and Nagasaki's 3rd district, leading to widespread analysis that such a strategy would be difficult.

The background to the LDP's dismal results includes the adverse effects of a slush fund scandal and low approval ratings for the administration. Currently, the Kishida administration's approval rating is in the 20% range, a level that signals a risk of resignation. In particular, this by-election was the first election held after the LDP's 'slush fund scandal,' and it was regarded as a test that would determine the fate of the Kishida administration.

Within the party, cautious opinions are spreading, as it is uncertain whether victory can be assured if a general election is held immediately after an early dissolution of the House of Representatives. There is also analysis that voices demanding Prime Minister Kishida not run in the September presidential election will grow stronger.

Regarding the by-election results, Prime Minister Kishida said, "I take them seriously and with gravity," and added, "I feel sorry to the candidates and local residents that the LDP's political funding issues in Shimane became a stumbling block." All the areas where the elections were held had been represented by LDP members.

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