The country’s opposition parties agreed on Monday to submit a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday as the ruling coalition has rejected their calls for extending the current regular parliamentary session.
The plan to submit the motion Tuesday morning was announced by Yukio Edano, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, after he held a meeting with his counterparts from smaller opposition parties.
The CDP and the smaller parties have called for extending the Diet session for three months beyond its last day Wednesday to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, but the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition ally Komeito have deemed it unnecessary.
LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, regarded as the No. 2 figure after Suga in the ruling party, told reporters he will advise dissolving the House of Representatives for a general election to Suga if the motion is submitted.
Suga did not rule out dissolving the Lower House of the Diet at a news conference Sunday in Britain after attending a three-day summit of the Group of Seven industrialized countries, while stressing his priority remains bringing COVID-19 under control.
“(The election) could happen any time. But my top priority is dealing with the coronavirus,” Suga said. “I want to bring back safety and security to the Japanese people as soon as possible.”
The general election must be held before the current four-year term of Lower House members ends on Oct. 21.
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