Japan’s Abe calls snap election amid N Korea crisis

UN agencies don’t talk about funding with Dhaka, says disaster management secy

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, reports AFP from Tokyo. 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).

 

 

Japans Abe calls snap election amid N Korea crisis

UN agencies dont talk about funding with Dhaka, says disaster management secy

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called a snap election, seeking a fresh term at the helm of the worlds third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch, reports AFP from Tokyo. 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 Abes 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 governments) 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 Abes 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. Koikes 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 Abes 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).