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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