Japan's lower house of parliament dissolved for general election

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Japan’s lower house of parliament was dissolved on Thursday for a snap election next month.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his plan to call an early election for parliament’s more powerful lower house in October.

The move comes one year before scheduled elections and amid a stronger showing in opinion polls for Abe who has seen gains for his response so far to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

After the speaker officially dissolved parliament, members of the lower house raised their arms and shouted "Banzai" three times – the Japanese equivalent of "three cheers" – before breaking into applause.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a news conference to announce snap election at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, September 25, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The general election will be held on October 22.

Abe stunned Japan on Monday with a surprise call for a snap election, seeking to capitalize on a weak opposition and a boost in the polls, as voters welcome his hawkish DPRK policy.

However, observers described the snap election as Abe's greatest risk yet which might endanger his future premiership.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has upended Japanese politics in recent days, stealing Abe's limelight with her newly launched "Party of Hope" that seeks to shake up the country's lethargic political landscape.

Koike's new party, formally unveiled Wednesday, has attracted an influx of lawmakers from a wide range of ideological backgrounds and could unify opposition to Abe, presenting Japanese voters with a credible alternative to the prime minister.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike at a news conference to announce the name of the new political party at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Tokyo, Japan, September 25, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Abe last dissolved the lower house of parliament in November 2014 and thereafter led the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior Komeito coalition ally to a sweeping victory in the following election.

Thursday's dissolution marks the 4th time in postwar Japan that the lower chamber has been dissolved on the day the Diet has convened.

(With input from agencies)

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