Ishiba hints at general elections at the end of October as he begins forming his cabinet

With newly elected Liberal Democratic Party president Shigeru Ishiba set to be named prime minister during an extraordinary session of parliament on Tuesday, an early general election late next month is looking increasingly likely.

Over the weekend, Ishiba, who won the party leadership on Friday, began assembling the LDP’s leadership team and hinted that he may dissolve the lower house and hold new elections soon in the hope of winning a mandate for the party and its leadership.

“I will not deny that there are different possibilities,” Ishiba said on an NHK broadcast on Sunday when asked directly about the scenario. Earlier in the day, he said on a Fuji Television program that “the sooner the better” in general elections.