TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would dissolve parliament’s lower house on Thursday for a snap election, seeking a mandate to stick to his tough stance toward a volatile North Korea and rebalance the social security system.

Abe, in power for five years, had been expected to call the election for next month to take advantage of improved support and disarray in the opposition camp.

“I’ll demonstrate strong leadership and stand at the forefront to face a national crisis,” Abe told reporters, mentioning Japan’s fast-ageing population and North Korea.

“This is my responsibility as leader and my mission as prime minister.”

Natsuo Yamaguchi, the head of Abe’s junior coalition partner the Komeito party, said he understood the election would be on Oct. 22.

Abe said he would redirect some revenue from a planned sales tax hike in 2019 to child care and education rather than paying back public debt, although he added he would not abandon fiscal reform. Rebalancing the spending would offset the potential negative effect on consumption from the tax rise, he said.

“We will turn Japan’s social security system into one that responds to all generations by boldly diverting policy resources to resolve the two major concerns - child rearing and (elderly) nursing care – that working generations confront,” he said.

Abe rejected criticism that holding an election would create a political vacuum at a time of rising tension over North Korea’s missile and nuclear arms program. Pyongyang has fired ballistic missiles over Japan twice in the last month and conducted its sixth and biggest nuclear test on Sept. 3

“We must not give in to North Korea’s threats. By gaining a mandate from the people with this election, I will forge ahead with strong diplomacy,” Abe said, adding that now was the time to put more pressure on Pyongyang, not open dialogue.

Abe, whose ratings have risen to around 50 percent from around 30 percent in July, is gambling his ruling bloc can keep its lower house majority even if it loses the two-thirds “super majority” needed to achieve his long-held goal of revising the post-war pacifist constitution to clarify the military’s role.

He said his goal was for his coalition to retain a majority in the chamber.

BIG GAMBLE?

A weekend survey by the Nikkei business daily showed 44 percent of voters planned to vote for Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) versus 8 percent for the main opposition Democratic Party and another 8 percent for a new party launched by popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

The Nikkei poll was more positive for Abe’s prospects than a Kyodo news agency survey that showed his LDP garnering 27.7 percent support, with 42.2 percent undecided.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a news conference to announce snap election at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Abe’s image as a strong leader has bolstered his ratings amid the North Korea crisis and overshadowed opposition criticism of the premier for suspected cronyism scandals that eroded his support earlier this year.

Given the results seen in other major developed countries, however, some political analysts are not ruling out the unexpected.

“Abe’s big gamble could yield a big surprise,” veteran independent political analyst Minoru Morita said.

The prime minister had been expected to face a grilling over the cronyism scandals during a session of parliament from Thursday and opposition party officials saw the move as a ploy to avoid difficult questions.

Abe on Monday asked his cabinet to compile a 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) economic package by year-end to focus on child care, education and encouraging corporate investment.

He told public broadcaster NHK that diverting sales tax revenue would make it “impossible” to meet the government’s target of balancing Japan’s budget - excluding debt servicing costs and bond sales - by the year beginning April 2020.

“But we are absolutely not lowering the flag of fiscal consolidation,” he said.

He said he believed it was necessary to revise the constitution’s pacifist article 9 to clarify the military’s status but said the wording of a proposed change was up to his party.

Slideshow (8 Images)

The main opposition Democratic Party is struggling with single-digit ratings and much depends on whether it can cooperate with liberal opposition groups.

On Monday, just hours before Abe’s election announcement, Tokyo Governor Koike said she would lead a new conservative, reform-minded “Party of Hope” to offer voters an alternative to the LDP.

“Our ideal is to proceed free of special interests,” Koike, a former LDP member, told a news conference.

An LDP internal survey showed seats held by the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito could fall to 280 from the 323 they now hold, the Nikkei reported on Saturday. Reforms adopted last year will cut the number of lower house seats to 465 from 475.</s>If re-elected, it would be Abe's fourth term at the helm of the world's third top economy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to take advantage of a political opposition in disarray. (Photo: AFP)

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called a snap election, seeking a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch.

Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power, as polls show him regaining ground after a series of scandals.

"I will dissolve the House of Representatives on the 28th" of September, Abe told reporters, a precursor to a general election. The prime minister did not give a date for the election but it will reportedly be on October 22.

Surveys suggest voters approve of the hardline stance taken by the nationalist Abe on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country in the space of a month and has threatened to "sink" Japan.

According to a weekend poll in business daily Nikkei, 44 percent of voters plan to vote for Abe's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), while only eight percent favoured the main opposition Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, one fifth of those polled said they were still undecided, potentially opening the door for gains by a new party formed by allies of the popular mayor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, which will field dozens of candidates.

Koike's Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First) party humiliated Abe and the LDP in local elections in July, but analysts say the new grouping has not had time to lay a national foundation to mount a serious challenge to the prime minister.

In an apparent bid to steal Abe's limelight, Koike went before the cameras just hours before his announcement to announce she was creating a national political party called "Kibo no To" (Party of Hope).

"Japan is facing a difficult time considering the situation in North Korea. Economically, the world is making a big move while Japan's presence is gradually declining," said Koike.

"Can we continue letting (the existing lawmakers) handle politics?"

But Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Japan, said there was "no opposition worthy of the name in Japan".

"The LDP is a giant among dwarves. It would take a major scandal to derail the Abe express," said the analyst.

- 'Political vacuum' -

 The winner of the expected snap election faces a daunting in-tray of challenges ranging from an unprecedented crisis with North Korea to reviving the once world-beating Japanese economy.

In addition to threats to destroy Japan, Pyongyang has fired two missiles over the northern island of Hokkaido in the space of less than a month.

However, the North Korea crisis appears to have given the hawkish Abe a welcome boost in the polls following a series of scandals, including allegations he improperly favoured a friend in a business deal.

Despite a recent run of growth, the election winner will also have to contend with a sluggish economy, as the heavily indebted country grapples with a low birth rate and a shrinking labour force.

Although Abe is expected to triumph in the vote, there are question marks over whether he will retain a two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to reform the constitution to strengthen Japan's military, one of his stated priorities.

"Despite the seemingly favourable backdrop for Abe, there are risks in calling a snap election," said Yoel Sano, an analyst at BMI research.</s>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surprised the world when he announced a snap election. He’s hoping to take advantage of an opposition in disarray and to cement his hold on Japan’s Lower House of Parliament (Diet). While there are strong reasons for doing so, there’s a good chance it could blow up in his face, just as it did for British Prime Minister Theresa May when she called her’s earlier this year.

A “snap election” means the ruling party calls for an election much earlier than the calendar requires. There are several reasons for doing so. First, if the leader is popular, he or she may want to take advantage of the chance to pack parliament with supporters. Second, a beleaguered leader might call a snap election because the leader wants a show of confidence among supporters. Third, snap elections provide leaders an opportunity to take advantage of disarray in the opposition party. Hoping to pick up more seats, the leader tries to catch the opposing party when they are least likely to offer an effective campaign.

Snap elections can be fraught with peril for the party in power or the opposition. When the prime minister or chancellor calls this sudden election, his or her own party might not be ready, leaving it vulnerable to mistakes. The same effect applies to the opposition.

In previous cases, calling a snap election has blown up in the legislative leader’s face. Sometimes, the leader misjudges how popular he or she really is. French President Jacques Chirac thought he was much beloved, which wasn’t actually the case. Because of his style and his unpopular prime minister, the conservative leader lost the National Assembly to the Socialists.

In the case of a beleaguered leader, New Zealand’s National Party’s Robert Muldoon only had a one seat majority, on top of having to deal with party rebels. He announced a snap election while intoxicated, and the New Zealand Labor Party prevailed easily. There’s a reason people call it “The Schnapps Election.”

This year, British Prime Minister Theresa May had a majority with her Tory Government. She called a snap election to catch the British Labour Party while stuck with the ultra-liberal Jeremy Corbyn. But it was the bearded, unconventional politician who provided the surprise. May ran an weak campaign and even skipped a debate. Her muddled message led to her Conservative Party losing its majority. It had to make a coalition with a North Irish Party, a humiliating setback.

Abe may think he has the lead, but not all polls agree. Some show him with a lower level of support, with undecided voters making up the majority of the survey. Moreover, Abe’s LDP faces a breakaway faction of his party, who left to try to build their own. Such a move could sap his party of much-needed support in the Japanese Diet. That’s a “sobering” thought, as New Zealand’s Muldoon would agree if he was still around.

For every story of a lost snap election, there are plenty of cases where it proved successful. Though there are risks for the party trying to shake up parliament, the opposition could be just as unprepared for one, providing a political advantage for the politician who knows they are coming.

And Japan has had a history of snap elections too. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called a snap election in 2005 to catch the Democratic Party of Japan unprepared and get rid of rebellious Liberal Democratic Party politicians. Koizumi’s party won two-thirds of the vote in that historic election.

Abe has good reasons for calling a snap election. He wants to change the Japanese constitution to eliminate some of its pacifist elements, which would enable him to enact a robust foreign policy for dealing with Kim Jong-un. Speaking of the North Korean leader, perhaps Abe feels that the bellicose nature of the ruler might scare some voters into his camp.

While some polls show Abe’s right-leaning Liberal Democratic Party faltering, others show he is well-positioned to knock out his main rival, the Democratic Party of Japan. And with support from the Komeito, Abe’s coalition might have enough votes to rewrite the rules.

Japan is the U.S.’ military ally, friend in East Asia, and valuable member of the anti-North Korean alliance. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party is on friendly terms with the United States, whereas the Democratic Party of Japan might disagree with America’s foreign policy. Because America wants a unified front against North Korea, it will root for a big Abe win.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Ga. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is JohnTures2.</s>Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Monday he will call a snap election for parliament's more powerful lower house for next month.

Abe said at a news conference that he will dissolve the chamber on Thursday when it convenes after a three-month summer recess. The election is to be held October 22.

Support ratings for Abe's government have started to rebound after attacks on him over cronyism scandals faded during parliament's recess. Also, opposition parties are regrouping and unprepared for an election.

Opposition lawmakers have said there is no need to hold an election now.

Tokyo's popular governor announced earlier on Monday that she is launching a new political party to challenge Abe's ruling party in the election.

Yuriko Koike said she is heading the Hope Party and plans to send candidates to vie for some of the 475 seats in the lower house.

She said her party will be conservative and push for transparency in government, women's advancement, elimination of nuclear energy and other reforms. Several parliamentarians, including defectors from the main opposition Democratic Party, have announced their intention to join her party.

"This is going to be a new force formed by members aiming to achieve reforms and conservativism," Koike said. "We are going to create a Japan where there is hope for everyone that tomorrow will certainly be better than today."

Koike's regional Tokyoites First no Kai group won a landslide victory in the city assembly election in July, dealing a major blow to Abe's party. On Monday, she reminded voters of the scandals that led Abe's government's support ratings to fall below 30% in July.

Support for Abe's party has since rebounded, helped somewhat by a Cabinet reshuffle last month.

The Democrats, which held power in 2009-2012, have lost ground since then, largely due to party disagreements.</s>Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has called a snap election to take advantage of opposition disarray and support for his hard line against North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Speaking at a televised press conference on Monday, Abe said the election would be an appraisal of his handling of the economy and the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

The 22 October election was announced hours after Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, announced the formation of a new party that could give conservative voters an alternative to Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP).



Koike, a former LDP defence minister, said her newly formed Kibo no To (Party of Hope) would be free of special interests.

“I’m launching a new party and I want to be directly involved in it,” Koike said at a televised press conference, adding that she would stay on as governor and head the new party.

“Japan is facing a difficult time considering the situation in North Korea. Economically, the world is making a big move while Japan’s presence is gradually fading.



“I want the Japanese people to believe that there is hope for tomorrow.”

The party has already attracted MPs from other opposition parties. Mineyuki Fukuda, a junior cabinet minister, said over the weekend he would become the first LDP defector to join Koike.

The vote for the powerful lower house of parliament will be more than a year earlier than expected but comes amid increasing tension in the region.



North Korea has test-fired two ballistic missiles over northern Japan in the past month, triggering emergency drills and warnings from Abe that the country faces an “unprecedented threat” from the regime.

Abe, who has been in office for almost five years, announced new spending on education and child care as part of a 2 trillion yen ($17.80 billion) stimulus package to be implemented over three years from next April.



He said he would continue to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile development. “If North Korea follows the right path, it can develop its economy. But if it doesn’t abandon its missile and nuclear programmes, then it will not have a bright future,” he said.



Abe repeated his opposition to “talks for talks’ sake” with Pyongyang, noting that experience had shown that the regime could not be trusted to keep its promises.

At home, Abe is expected to persevere with a long-held desire to reform Japan’s postwar constitution to allow the country’s military a more active role overseas.



According to a weekend poll by the Nikkei business newspaper, 44% of voters would back the LDP in a general election. Only 8% said they would vote for the main opposition Democratic party, whose poor showing in local elections earlier this summer forced a leadership election.

Significantly, a fifth of those polled by the Nikkei said they were undecided, potentially opening the door for Koike’s party to make an impact in its first national election.

Koike’s party is expected to field dozens of candidates and to cooperate with other opposition parties in an attempt to defeat LDP candidates in marginal seats.

Her regional forerunner to the Hope party, which campaigned only in Tokyo, humiliated Abe and the LDP in elections in for assembly elections in the capital in July, but analysts say the election will come too soon for the new party to mount a serious challenge to Abe.

“There is no opposition worthy of the name in Japan. The LDP is a giant among dwarves. It would take a major scandal to derail the Abe express,” said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo.

Some analysts refused to rule out a Japanese version of the shock results seen in the UK and the US over the past year.

Even if the LDP wins, failure to retain the two-third majority it now enjoys in the lower house could halt Abe’s plans to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution.

Abe, a conservative critic of the US-authored constitution, had hoped to use his time in office to revise article 9, which limits Japanese armed forces to a strictly defensive role.



Abe, whose ratings have risen to around 50% from around 30% in July, is gambling that his ruling bloc can keep its lower house majority even if they lose the two-thirds “super majority” needed to achieve his long-held goal.

“Despite the seemingly favourable backdrop for Abe, there are risks in calling a snap election,” said Yoel Sano, an analyst at BMI research.

Given rising tensions over North Korea, voters could see the election as a “cynical and opportunistic” attempt to draw attention away from two cronyism scandals that have embroiled Abe and his wife, Akie.

Senior LDP official Koichi Hagiuda dismissed concerns about a political vacuum during the election campaign.

“Even if there is a contingency during the election, I am confident that we can respond properly,” Hagiuda said on public broadcaster NHK.

Opposition party officials have criticised the election as an attempt by Abe to dodge questioning over the scandals during a session of parliament set to begin on Thursday – the day he is will dissolve the lower house.

Opinion polls suggest voters are largely supportive of Abe’s tough stance on North Korea. In recent days he has called for the proper enforcement of UN security sanctions and said the time for talking with Pyongyang has passed.

The crisis appears to have diluted criticism of his handling of the world’s third biggest economy, particularly the slow progress on structural reforms designed to address Japan’s falling birth rate and shrinking workforce.</s>Shinzo Abe says he will dissolve lower house of parliament and call elections in October.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will dissolve the lower house of parliament and call fresh elections in October.

Abe said at a news conference on Monday that he would dissolve the more powerful house in Japan's two-chamber parliament on Thursday when it convenes after a three-month summer recess.

"I will dissolve the House of Representatives on the 28th" of September, Abe told reporters, a precursor to a general election.

The prime minister did not give a date for the election but local media reported it would likely take place on October 22.

Surveys suggest voters approve of the hardline stance taken by the nationalist Abe on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country within a month and has threatened to "sink" Japan.

According to a weekend poll in business daily Nikkei, 44 percent of voters plan to vote for Abe's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), while only eight percent favoured the main opposition Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, one fifth of those polled said they were still undecided, potentially opening the door for gains by a new party formed by allies of the popular mayor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, which will field dozens of candidates.

Koike's Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First) party humiliated Abe and the LDP in local elections in July, but analysts say the new grouping has not had time to lay a national foundation to mount a serious challenge to the prime minister.

In an apparent bid to steal Abe's limelight, Koike went before the cameras just hours before his announcement to announce she was creating a national political party called "Kibo no To" (Party of Hope).

"Japan is facing a difficult time considering the situation in North Korea. Economically, the world is making a big move while Japan's presence is gradually declining," said Koike.

"Can we continue letting (the existing lawmakers) handle politics?"

But Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Japan, said there was "no opposition worthy of the name in Japan".

The winner of the expected snap election faces a daunting in-tray of challenges ranging from an unprecedented crisis with North Korea to reviving the once world-beating Japanese economy.

In addition to threats to destroy Japan, Pyongyang has fired two missiles over the northern island of Hokkaido in the space of less than a month.

 

However, the North Korea crisis appears to have given the hawkish Abe a welcome boost in the polls following a series of scandals, including allegations he improperly favoured a friend in a business deal.

Abe, the third generation of a powerful political family, appeared to be groomed for power from an early age. He was the country's youngest prime minister when he first won the top job.

Abe was the first world leader to cultivate close relations with US President Donald Trump, meeting the tycoon in Trump Tower even before he was inaugurated.</s>Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was widely expected to call a snap election Monday, hoping to capitalise on rising support as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever pitch.

Voters in the world's third-largest economy could go to the polls as soon as October 22, more than a year earlier than expected, as Abe seeks to take advantage of a political opposition in disarray.

According to a weekend poll in business daily Nikkei, 44 percent of voters plan to vote for Abe's conservative LDP party, while only eight percent said they would side with the main opposition Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, one fifth of those polled said they were still undecided, potentially opening the door for gains by a new party formed by allies of the popular mayor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, which will field dozens of candidates.

Koike's Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First) party humiliated Abe and the LDP in local elections in July, but analysts say the new grouping has not had time to lay national foundations to mount a serious challenge to the prime minister.

"There is no opposition worthy of the name in Japan. The LDP is a giant among dwarves. It would take a major scandal to derail the Abe express," said Jeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan.

The winner of the expected snap election faces a daunting in-tray of challenges ranging from an unprecedented crisis with North Korea to reviving the once world-beating Japanese economy.

Pyongyang has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and fired two missiles over the northern island of Hokkaido in the space of less than a month.

Surveys suggest voters approve of nationalist Abe's firm line on North Korea and the crisis appears to have given him a welcome boost in the polls following a series of scandals, including allegations he improperly favoured a friend in a business deal.

Despite a recent run of growth, the election winner will also have to contend with a sluggish economy, as the heavily indebted country grapples with low birthrates and a shrinking labour force.

Abe will reportedly announce that the proceeds from a planned sales tax hike in 2019 will be ploughed into education spending rather than paying down the country's enormous debt.

Although Abe is expected to triumph in the vote, there are question marks over whether he will retain a two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to reform the constitution to strengthen Japan's military, a stated priority of his.

"Despite the seemingly favourable backdrop for Abe, there are risks in calling a snap election," said Yoel Sano, an analyst at BMI research.

At a time of national crisis over North Korea, Japanese voters may see it as a "cynical and opportunistic move" designed to divert attention from a series of scandals that weighed on Abe's popularity, warned Sano.</s>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced an early election to capitalize on rising public support for his hard-line stance against the North Korean nuclear and missile threat.

The prime minister Monday dissolved the lower house of the Japanese parliament known as the Diet, and called what is known as a snap election for October 22, more than a year before the next election is scheduled to take place.

At a press conference to announce his decision, Abe said engaging in a snap election campaign would not distract his government from responding to North Korean threats, and he pledged to increase pressure if Pyongyang fails to halt its provocations.

Calling an early election is an often-used political tactic in a parliamentary system to try to gain more seats in the legislature, or extend the ruling coalition’s term of office, when public support for the leadership is high. If Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party maintains its majority in the Diet, he could serve as prime minister until 2021.

Abe is seeking to take advantage of his close to 50 percent approval rating in recent public opinion polls. Just a few months ago his rating dropped to near 30 percent due to domestic scandals alleging he used his office to help friends and family profit, charges that he denied.

But in the face of North Korea’s continued threatening behavior, the Japanese public has increasingly coalesced in favor of the conservative prime minister’s strong defensive posture.

On two recent occasions Pyongyang fired missiles over the northern island of Hokkaido and has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea.

On Friday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said his country is considering testing a hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific Ocean. Analysts say such a test would likely be a nuclear tipped missile launch that would also fly over Japanese airspace.

Abe has closely aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure policy to use crippling sanctions and the threat of military action to force the Kim Jong Un government to give up its nuclear program.

The Abe administration has also advocated for bolstering Japan’s missile strike capability, and has proposed a $48 billion budget to upgrade missile defense systems, including purchasing U.S. land-based Aegis Ashore interceptors or the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), the same anti-missile system the U.S. recently deployed in South Korea.

If Japan seeks to acquire THAAD it could risk angering China, which strongly objects to locating this system in the region, as its powerful radar can potentially monitor Chinese military installations. Beijing has retaliated against Seoul for THADD by reducing imports and tourists, and could also try to punish Tokyo in a similar fashion.

Growing Japanese support for strong defensive measures could also help Abe achieve his long held goal to end constraints imposed on the military by the country’s post World War II pacifist constitution.

To change the constitution that prohibits Japan from going to war to settle international disputes requires the approval of a two-thirds majority in parliament, and the support of a majority of voters in a national referendum.

The Japanese public has been divided over Abe’s proposal to allow the military more latitude to counter potential threats from countries like North Korea and China that are increasing their military and nuclear capabilities. The U.S. supports Japan taking a more prominent role in maintaining regional security.

Supporters of the pacifist constitution argue that loosening restrictions on the use of force will entangle Japan in international conflicts, most likely in support of its U.S. military ally. President Trump’s recent threat to totally destroy North Korea if attacked, and the escalating war of words between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea, have heightened these concerns for many.

“Quite a few people also regard that as more of courting danger to Japan, and putting them in harms way, rather than protecting Japan,” said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor with Sophia University in Tokyo.

China and other countries in Asia that suffered under Japanese occupation during World War II also object to any change to the country’s pacifist constitution.

A Nikkei business daily survey showed 44 percent of voters plan to vote for Abe's Liberal Democratic Party versus 8 percent for the main opposition Democratic Party.

However recent elections around the world have surprised pollsters with unexpected results.

While the opposition in Japan currently seems divided and weak, Abe’s critics say he runs the risk of alienating voters by playing politics at time when the country faces a serious security threat.

“Some people are really sort of cynical about the fact that Mr. Abe has been basically calling the nation to duck and cover while North Korea launches a missile, and now calls a snap election presumably because it’s okay to conduct a political campaign even when North Korea is flying missiles,” said Nakano.

A poll by the Kyodo news agency found that almost two-thirds of Japanese voters are opposed to Abe holding a snap election, and that 42 percent of the electorate is undecided about whom to support.</s>TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Monday he will call an early election for parliament's more powerful lower house for next month.

Abe said at a news conference that he will dissolve the 475-seat chamber on Thursday when it convenes after a three-month summer recess. The election is to be held Oct. 22.

Support ratings for Abe's government have started to rebound after attacks on him over cronyism scandals faded during the recess. Also, opposition parties are regrouping and unprepared for an election. Opposition lawmakers have said there is no need to hold an election now.

Abe said he was seeking a mandate for his plans to use new tax revenues for education and elderly care, and for his defence policy toward North Korea's escalating missile and nuclear threat, saying the situation is tantamount to a national crisis.

"I will tackle the national crisis with my strong leadership," Abe said.

"I expect opposition criticism is going to focus on (the scandals), and it's going to be a very difficult election," Abe said. He said he will step down as prime minister if his Liberal Democratic Party fails to win a majority, or at least 233 seats, to stay in power.

Analysts believe his ruling Liberal Democratic Party will retain a majority, but could lose the two-thirds majority it currently holds with its coalition partner, the Komei party. Still, a big enough victory could help Abe extend his hold on power. His three-year term as party leader ends next September, and he will have to fend off any challengers from within the LDP to remain prime minister.

"For Mr. Abe, now is the time. He is taking advantage of unprepared opposition parties as he seeks to prolong his leadership," said Yu Uchiyama, a University of Tokyo politics professor.

Support ratings for his government plunged to below 30 per cent in July following repeated parliamentary questions about allegations that Abe helped his friend obtain approval for a veterinary college.

Recent media polls show the support ratings recovering to around 50 per cent, helped by parliament's recess and a Cabinet reshuffle in August that removed the defence minister and several other unpopular ministers. A Nikkei newspaper survey published Monday showed that 44 per cent of respondents said they would vote for Abe's party in the election, followed by just 8 per cent for two opposition parties.</s>Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe on Monday called a snap election, seeking a fresh term at the helm of the world’s third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch.

Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power, as polls show him regaining ground after a series of scandals.

“I will dissolve the House of Representatives on the 28th” of September, Abe told reporters, a precursor to a general election. The prime minister did not give a date for the vote but it is widely expected to be October 22.

Surveys suggest voters approve of nationalist Abe’s hardline stance on North Korea, which fired two missiles over the country in the space of a month and has threatened to “sink” Japan.

“The election, which is the core of democracy, should not be influenced by the threats of North Korea,” stressed Abe, 63.

“Rather, by holding an election, I want to seek a public mandate regarding (the government’s) handling of the North Korean issues,” he added.

According to a weekend poll in business daily Nikkei, 44 percent of Japanese plan to vote for Abe’s conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), while only eight percent favoured the main opposition Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, one-fifth of those polled said they were still undecided, potentially opening the door for gains by a new party formed by the popular mayor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike which will field dozens of candidates.

Koike’s Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First) party humiliated Abe and the LDP in local elections in July, but analysts say the new grouping has not had time to lay a national foundation to mount a serious challenge to the prime minister.

In an apparent bid to steal Abe’s limelight, former TV anchorwoman Koike went before the cameras just hours before his news conference to announce she was creating a national political party called “Kibo no To” (Party of Hope).

“Japan is facing a difficult time considering the situation in North Korea. Economically, the world is making a big move while Japan’s presence is gradually declining,” said Koike.

But Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Japan, said there was “no opposition worthy of the name in Japan”.

“The LDP is a giant among dwarves. It would take a major scandal to derail the Abe express,” he said.

The winner of the expected snap election faces a daunting in-tray of challenges ranging from an unprecedented crisis with North Korea to reviving the once world-beating Japanese economy.

The North Korea crisis appears to have given the hawkish Abe a welcome boost in the polls following a series of scandals, including allegations he improperly favoured a friend in a business deal.

Despite a recent run of growth, the election winner will also have to contend with a sluggish economy, as the heavily indebted country grapples with a low birth rate and a shrinking labour force.

Abe said Japan’s “biggest problem” was a declining number of children in an ageing society.

He pledged to use some of the proceeds of a planned hike in sales tax to fund education and childcare, rather than drawing down Japan’s massive debt, resulting in an effective stimulus package of around two trillion yen ($18 billion).

“I want people’s support. I plan to compile a new economic package by the end of the year,” the prime minister said.

Although Abe is expected to triumph in the vote, there are question marks over whether he will retain the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to reform the constitution to strengthen Japan’s military, one of his stated priorities.

“Despite the seemingly favourable backdrop for Abe, there are risks in calling a snap election,” said Yoel Sano, an analyst at BMI research.

At a time of national crisis over North Korea, Japanese voters may see it as a “cynical and opportunistic move” designed to divert attention from the scandals that weighed on Abe’s popularity, warned Sano.

Commentator Masao Yora said the election would “create a political vacuum” just when the country needs strong leadership in the face of the threat from Pyongyang.

This “may seem normal in Japan but from abroad, it is difficult to understand”, Yora told AFP.

 If re-elected, it would be Abe’s fourth term.

Abe, the third generation of a powerful political family, appeared to be groomed for power from an early age. He was the country’s youngest prime minister when he first won the top job aged 52.

Abe was the first world leader to cultivate close relations with US President Donald Trump, meeting the tycoon in Trump Tower even before he was inaugurated.
The Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe calls a snap election with the election to be held on October 22.