Japan PM Shinzo Abe Dissolves Parliament for Snap Election
Paving the way for a snap election next month, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved the lower house of the parliament Friday.
Speaker Bunmei Ibuki announced the dissolution of parliament in the lower house Friday morning.
Japan's legislature, the National Diet, consists of the upper House of Councillors and the lower House of representatives.
The move is being seen as an effort on the part of Prime Minister Abe to revive support for his government after a number of finance-related scandals plagued his new Cabinet this fall. He is now looking towards a new mandate for economic reforms and is delaying an increase in the sales tax, the proposition of which has clearly displeased many.
Japan will head to polls in mid-December. Opinion polls conducted by local media have indicated low support for the Prime Minister. Many citizens have complained that they don't understand why Abe called for an election two years before its original schedule.
The survey by Kyodo News agency, Friday, stated that about 63 percent of the people seemed puzzled by Abe's call for going to the polls early. Another survey, conducted by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, revealed that only 39 percent agreed with The Prime Minister, BBC reports.
It is being speculated that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party may lose some seats in the election, but will still be able to retain a majority with its coalition partner in the 480-seat lower house.
Japan's economy slipped into recession this week, post which Abe postponed the increase in the consumption tax. The snap election is a part of his strategy to revitalize the economy, the Huffington Post reports.
