Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has made the bold decision to dissolve the Lower House next week for a snap election on Oct. 27, as announced by the newly elected Liberal Democratic Party president on Monday. This move has sparked both intrigue and debate within the political sphere.
Traditionally, it is the current prime minister who has the authority to dissolve parliament and call for a general election. However, Ishiba, who was just elected as the LDP president on Friday, is set to take over as prime minister on Tuesday pending a vote by parliament.