Abe dissolves the Diet

> Japan opposition unites behind Tokyo governor

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially dissolved parliament (the Diet) yesterday, effectively kicking off a national election campaign where he faces an unexpected and formidable challenge from the popular governor of Tokyo.

Members of the lower house raised their arms and shouted “Banzai” three times, the Japanese equivalent of “three cheers”, after the speaker read out Abe’s letter officially dissolving the chamber.

Voters will go to the polls on Oct 22, as Abe seeks a fresh popular mandate for his hardline stance on North Korea and a new tax plan.

“A difficult battle starts today,” Abe said, shaking his fist.

“This is an election about how to protect the lives of people,” he said.

“We have to cooperate with the international community as we face the threat from North Korea.”

Abe asked for public support for his “strong diplomacy” on North Korea, which has threatened to “sink” Japan into the sea.

Abe stunned Japan on Monday with a surprise call for a snap election, seeking to capitalise on a weak opposition and a boost in the polls, as voters welcome his hawkish North Korea policy.

But Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike has upended Japanese politics recently, stealing Abe’s limelight with her newly launched “Party of Hope” that seeks to shake up the nation’s lethargic political landscape.

Koike’s new party, formally unveiled on Wednesday, has attracted an influx of lawmakers from a wide range of ideological backgrounds and could unify opposition to Abe, presenting voters with a credible alternative to the premier.

The head of the main opposition Democratic Party proposed to members it should not run candidates in the Oct 22 poll and they were free to join Koike’s group.

For the moment, although Koike is leading the party, she is not running for a seat in parliament, preferring to focus on governing the world’s most populous city in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic Games.

But pundits say the charismatic former TV presenter, 65, could yet go all-in on her high-stakes gamble if she thought she could deflect criticism for ditching her job after only a year.

“The party may gain some seats in the Tokyo area, but a risk for her is that voters may feel betrayed as they picked her as Tokyo governor and now she is working in national politics,” Seikei University’s political science professor Kensuke Takayasu said. – AFP