"Strong Economy" to be focus of Upper House election: Ishiba
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday said he expects the focal point of the upcoming House of Councillors election to be a "strong economy."
At a press conference following the end of this year's ordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, on Sunday, Ishiba said that "how (parties) hope to build a strong economy" will be the main topic of the July election for the upper chamber.
Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that the LDP and its coalition partner, Komeito, will aim to maintain their Upper House majority in the upcoming election, in which half of the chamber's seats will be contested.
Asked whether the LDP-Komeito camp will accept any other party into the coalition, Ishiba said, "We need to secure agreements over various policies."
The government is expected to adopt a plan to hold the Upper House election at a cabinet meeting soon, scheduled for July 20.
On whether Japan will further increase its defence spending, Ishiba said: "The matter is not just about the amount of money. We must build up the necessary things."
Regarding consumption tax, Ishiba said, "We can't do something as irresponsible as a tax cut without securing stable financial resources."
On a possible blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Ishiba said that he will monitor the situation closely with "great vigilance," as such a move would have a grave impact.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Photo by Reuters
