Japanese prime minister could face no-confidence vote

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japan's main opposition party is set to file a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, sources told Kyodo News on Thursday.

The move by the Constitutional Democratic Party, which has protested against various government policies including a bill to increase defense spending, comes amid speculation that Kishida will dissolve the lower house for a snap election.

Kishida-led Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party hold majority in the 465-seat parliament.

Earlier this week, Kishida said he will decide when to dissolve the lower house after assessing "various circumstances," a reversal of his previous stance that he was "not considering" an early election.

His policies resulted in defense spending to increase by 26.3% to a record 6.82 trillion yen ($51.7 billion) for the financial year starting April 1.

Japan expects to see defense spending rise to 43 trillion yen ($310 billion) over the next five years.

The ongoing session of the parliament, locally known as Diet, concludes next Wednesday.

The current four-year term for the lower house ends in October 2025. Under Japan's Constitution, the premier has the authority to dissolve the lower house.