Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday ruled out dissolving the House of Representatives in the near future, rejecting opposition calls, amid speculation that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party would suffer a significant defeat in a snap election.
"I will concentrate on making achievements on issues that cannot be postponed," Kishida said during a parliamentary debate among party leaders, adding he is "not thinking about anything else" as a slush funds scandal rattles his LDP.
Kishida was responding to a question from Kenta Izumi, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who criticized him for failing to implement political money reforms after the scandal involving the LDP and urged him to seek a popular mandate.
As Kishida declined to declare a lower house dissolution, the ongoing ordinary Diet session is expected to wrap up on Sunday as scheduled. The focus will turn to whether he can secure reelection in the LDP's presidential race to be held around September.
"I have to fulfill my responsibility as the president of the LDP to restore public trust in politics," Kishida told Izumi, with the approval ratings for his Cabinet at their lowest levels since he took office in October 2021, due in part to the political funds scandal.
The debate, the first of its kind in three years, took place just hours after the parliament enacted a revised law proposed by the LDP to reform political funding rules despite criticism that it fell far short of resolving the issue of money in politics.
Nobuyuki Baba, leader of the second-largest opposition Japan Innovation Party, asked Kishida to step down, saying that the LDP "needs a leader who can proceed with reforms in a steady manner." Kishida, however, rejected the demand.
Baba's party had initially supported the proposed law but voted against it in the House of Councillors, claiming the LDP had failed to fully incorporate agreements reached by the two parties' leaders, including establishing stricter rules for so-called policy activity funds.
Izumi, meanwhile, told Kishida that the public is "not at all convinced" by the amended law, adding it is "truly unfortunate" that the LDP "forced it through." The main opposition CDPJ took three seats from the LDP in lower house by-elections in April.
"We definitely want a change of government," Izumi said, emphasizing that his party would be able to conduct politics with "more honesty" than the LDP. The ruling party has been in power for most of the period since 1955, primarily with the backing of big private businesses.
The CDPJ is planning to submit a no-confidence motion against Kishida's Cabinet on Thursday. The motion is likely to be voted down by the majority of the ruling coalition, which includes the LDP and its junior partner, the Komeito party.
Baba, who began his political career as an LDP member, said at a press conference later in the day that if the CDPJ brings forward the no-confidence motion against the Cabinet to the lower house, it would be "difficult to oppose it."
The current four-year terms of lower house members expire in October 2025 unless Kishida dissolves the chamber for a snap election. Under Japan's Constitution, the prime minister can decide to dissolve the lower house.
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