Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has shrugged off the idea of dissolving the Lower House for a snap election, despite growing calls from within his ruling party to do so.
Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition camps say they think highly of what Kishida accomplished during the G7 Hiroshima summit, with some saying he helped the group send a strong message to the world. Recent polls show the approval ratings of his Cabinet rising.
When asked on Monday whether he has any intention to dissolve the Lower House, Kishida said he doesn't at this point. The prime minister says he needs to focus on producing results on issues that cannot be shelved.
But calls are growing from within his main ruling Liberal Democratic Party for Kishida to dissolve the Lower House as soon as possible on the back of his achievements in the G7 summit. One LDP executive said, "there is no choice but to dissolve" the chamber.
Some within the party remain cautious about the idea, however. They fear that the LDP could face a serious backlash if voters perceive that the party has opted for a snap poll only because the odds are in its favor. The chief representative of LDP's junior coalition partner Komeito said a rise in the Cabinet's approval ratings alone is unlikely to prompt Kishida to call a snap election.
The leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, however, suggested that his party will ramp up preparations for an election. He cautioned that the move to seek a snap election could gain steam.