The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved the lower house of the parliament on Thursday. With the snap elections happening on October 22, Mr. Abe is seeking to repair his dip in popularity due to the allegations of cronyism earlier this year. He also looks forward to form a mandate to stick to the tough stance towards the provocations of North Korea. Mr. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in power since 2012, and its opponent in this election would be the conservative Party of Hope, led by Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike.

 

Sources: Reports from BBC and Reuters, edited by Akileish Ramanathan

Team KAGA