Shinzo Abe will not dissolve the House of Representatives this summer

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe does not plan to dissolve the lower house of Parliament and early elections this summer, the Mainichi newspaper reports. Instead, according to the Prime Minister, he will focus on fighting the new wave of coronavirus. Recall that the dissolution of the House of Representatives (the lower house of Parliament) with the holding of new elections is a frequent practice in Japan. It is believed that this measure helps the lower house to most accurately reflect the current mood of voters. The only time since the adoption of the new constitution in 1947, when the election of the lower house of Parliament was held due to the expiration of a four-year term of office was in 1976. The term of office of the current chamber ends in the fall of 2021. The key issue that depends on the House decision is the reduction in the consumption tax rate. Depending on how the situation in Japan develops, primarily economic, the dissolution of the chamber will also depend. It is possible that this will happen this fall. The main supporter of the summer elections to the lower house was Finance Minister Taro Aso. He often insisted on the need for this measure. However, he did not receive the consent of the Prime Minister. Due to the increase in SARS-CoV2 infections, mainly in Tokyo, many Japanese politicians called for caution. Toshihiro Nikai, general secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said: Now there are more important things than the dissolution of the [lower house of Parliament].