PM to call snap election seeking mandate

JAPANESE Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was to officially announce yesterday her plans to dissolve parliament for a snap election, media reports said, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda.

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The country’s first woman leader, Takaichi is banking on her high poll numbers to lead the unpopular ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory.

After signalling her intentions to party officials last week, Takaichi will lay out her plans for a vote expected as early as February 8 during a press conference yesterday, the Yomiuri and other media outlets reported.

The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, albeit with frequent leader changes.

Takaichi was appointed prime minister in October and her cabinet is riding high in the polls, despite her party’s flagging popularity.