Abe, Kishida discuss LDP election pledges

September 23, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Liberal Democratic Party policy head Fumio Kishida on Saturday to discuss the LDP's campaign pledges for an expected general election next month, informed sources said.The meeting was held at Abe's private house in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.

The ruling party aims to make public on Oct. 3 its policy pledges for the election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.

At a press conference to be held on Monday, the prime minister is set to announce his plan to dissolve the Lower House as early as the beginning of an extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Thursday for a snap election.

Abe aims to change the designated usage of additional tax revenue from the planned consumption tax increase to 10 pct from the current 8 pct in October 2019, so that part of the revenue can be utilized mainly to realize free education.

However, the idea has drawn criticism from opposition parties and even some LDP members. A focal point is how the idea will be reflected in the campaign platform, sources familiar with the situation said. Jiji Press