A possible reduction of the number of House of Representatives seats is unlikely to be implemented in time for the next election for the Lower House, a ruling party official has indicated.
Even if a bill on the seat reduction is passed during next year’s ordinary session of parliament, it would be difficult to hold the next election for Lower House under the new system, Keiji Furuya, head of the Liberal Democratic Party’s election strategy committee, said in a speech in the city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, on Sunday.
Furuya said that discussions on the measure between ruling and opposition parties and a revision of constituencies would likely extend until around autumn 2028, when the four-year term of current Lower House members is set to expire.
“If the Lower House is dissolved by then, the subsequent general election would be held under the current system,” he said. “Honestly speaking, it is difficult (for the new system to be introduced in time for the next Lower House election).”
On the possibility of a snap election, Furuya said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October, “has many policies that she is anxious to realize, and these will be handled at (next year’s) ordinary parliament session.
“The prime minister is expected to dissolve the Lower House at the best possible time after achieving results one by one and gaining high marks from the public,” he said.
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