Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved parliament on Wednesday, October 9, ahead of October 27 snap elections, banking on his honeymoon popularity and a fragmented opposition to lead his scandal-tainted party to victory. Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades – albeit with frequent leader changes – and is almost certain to be re-elected. Yet Ishiba, who was named prime minister just last week, wants to shore up his mandate to push through policies that include beefing up spending on defence as well as on poorer regions hit by Japan’s demographic crisis. “We want to … Continue reading Japanese PM Ishiba dissolves parliament ahead of snap elections