Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said he was not planning to dissolve parliament for a snap election during the current parliamentary session set to conclude on June 23, after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a slew of setbacks.
Asked whether he was considering a snap poll, Kishida told reporters at the Prime Ministers' Office that his position was clear.
"As I have always said, I am now concentrating on political reforms and other issues that cannot be postponed," he said. "I am thinking of nothing else but achieving results in those areas.”
Kishida's Cabinet has been saddled with record-low approval ratings, as the LDP grapples with a recent political funds scandal within his party.
The prime minister had reportedly been eyeing a scenario in which he called a snap election, with a win by the ruling bloc buoying him ahead of September's ruling party leadership race. The head of the ruling party concurrently serves as prime minister.
But recent by-election losses have pushed ruling bloc lawmakers to oppose any attempt to call a snap election before the session concludes.
In one move that could provide a boost for Kishida, a bill to revise the political funds control law submitted by the LDP was expected to pass the Lower House as early as Thursday.
Also Tuesday, the LDP and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed to hold a question and answer session attended by Kishida at the Lower House's political reform special committee on Wednesday.
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