Japan's Takaichi Set to Call Early Election

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00:00According to Issun, the Japan Innovation Party, which governs in coalition with the LDP,

00:06it's understood that Sinai Taka-Iche will recall Parliament on January the 23rd,

00:12or Parliament will reconvene then, and shortly after that she will announce the dissolution of Parliament

00:18and call a snap election.

00:20The LDP Secretary General has also said Sinai Taka-Iche will give more details on her plan

00:25at a press conference on January the 19th.

00:28But yeah, she's really seeking to capitalise here on her strong personal popularity.

00:3262% approval rating in the latest NHK poll, but the LDP that she leads, just 32%.

00:39So a bit of a risk here to see whether her personal popularity is going to convert more broadly.

00:46And risk as well, because this is an untested dynamic with this new ruling coalition,

00:52given how it's going to be the first time in, what, two decades,

00:55without its former junior coalition partner, Komeito.

01:00So that's another thing that could add to this gamble that, you know, it could unravel without this ally.

01:06Certainly, though, the risk may be turning into opportunity for Taka-Iche.

01:11Maybe that's the calculus for her.

01:13Maybe the opportunity too hard to pass on in terms of being able to restore this comfortable majority in Parliament's lower house

01:22and then show that she can not only stay on as prime minister for months,

01:27but, yes, given this revolving door we've been seeing in the past couple of years in Japanese politics.