The prime minister should serve a four-year term instead of the current situation in which the post sometimes seems like a revolving door, Hidenao Nakagawa, former secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, said Monday.
Under Article 67 of the Constitution, the prime minister is elected during a plenary session of both the Lower and Upper houses. Thus the head of the ruling party usually also becomes prime minister. LDP President Yasuo Fukuda currently fills that bill.
There is no term limit, but the LDP presidency is for three years and the incumbent can only be re-elected twice. The term of a Lower House lawmaker is four years, with the chance for multiple re-election.