Tokyo, Sep 7
The successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will likely be selected during an extraordinary Diet session expected to be convened on October 1, Japanese media reported on Saturday.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will choose its next president on September 27. With both houses of parliament controlled by the LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito, it is a formality the winner will be the next prime minister, reported news agency.
The government is arranging the schedule, which will be finalised by Kishida's Cabinet late September.
If the next premier decides to dissolve the powerful House of Representatives soon after he or she is elected, the earliest date for a snap election will be October 27 and if the new leader demands time another possible date is November 10, reported.
Fumio Kishida is stepping down at the end of his three-year term later this month after a slush funds scandal hurt voter confidence in the ruling party. Seven or more candidates are expected to run in the LDP leadership election.
Kishida was elected as Prime Minister on September 29, In 2021. He dissolved the lower house on October 14 of that year for a general election on October 31.
Lawmakers are cautious that the next Prime Minister may follow the previous leader's example by calling an early general election before their initial popularity fades. Based on the past trends, campaigning could kick off on October 15, with voting on October 27. This would align with an upper house by-election in Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan.
Another possibility is to start campaigning on October 29, with the election set for November 10. This timing would allow the new Prime Minister to attend ASEAN-related meetings in Laos around October 10. A November 3 election seems unlikely, as it falls during a three-day holiday in Japan.