Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday he was not thinking about dissolving parliament, brushing aside speculation he could call a snap election in the coming months to solidify his standing within his ruling party.

“It’s not on my mind now,” Kishida told parliament, when asked about the chance of dissolving parliament and calling a snap election in the near term.

“The only thing I can say is that I will face challenges that cannot be put off, and fulfill my responsibility of explaining my decisions to the public,” he said.

Kishida’s cabinet has seen public approval ratings rebound after several diplomatic successes, such as mending strained relations with South Korea and the premier’s surprise meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv. ...continue reading