Abe’s Future Hinges on Margin of Victory in Snap Election
- Prime minister calls October vote a ‘test of confidence’
- ‘Formidable’ Tokyo governor vows to take on Abe with new party
CLSA Says Japan Snap Election Right Thing to Do
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is betting that he can crush a weak opposition in next month’s election. The margin of victory may determine whether his ruling party replaces him in 2018.
Abe announced on Monday that he would dissolve parliament later this week, more than a year before its term expires. He framed the election as a vote on his hard-line stance against North Korea and his plans to use revenue from an upcoming sales-tax hike to fund an $18 billion economic package aimed at tackling the challenges of an aging society.