The lower house of Japan's parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, setting the stage for the upcoming general election, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks to secure his party's lower house majority.
The general election is slated to be held on Oct. 27, with campaigning set to begin on Oct. 15.
Ishiba won the presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Sept. 27 and was elected prime minister on Oct. 1 in the parliament controlled by the LDP-led coalition.
The timing marked the shortest period between a prime minister taking office and the dissolution of the lower house in Japan's postwar history.
"Only by winning the lower house election can Ishiba increase his ability to strengthen cohesion within the LDP. In addition, Ishiba's dissolution of the lower house of parliament so fast will make it difficult for the opposition parties to form unity to challenge the LDP-led coalition in the general election," said Shiratori Hiroshi, political science professor with the Hosei University in Tokyo.
The general election will be the first since the LDP's political funds scandal surfaced in late 2023.
In his first policy speech to the parliament last week, 67-year-old Ishiba vowed to restore public trust in politics following a series of scandals and tried to reassure the public amid rising living costs.
In an effort to address public outrage, the LDP on Wednesday decided not to endorse 12 lawmakers embroiled in the political funds scandal as official candidates in the upcoming election.
"When running for LDP leader, Ishiba said that if he became the LDP leader and then the prime minister, he would give enough time for the Japanese people to consider their choices, which meant that there would be debates with the opposition parties at budget meetings so that the people could learn about plans of the new cabinet, and the lower house would be dissolved after all that. However, now the lower house is dissolved only nine days, or only around seven workdays after Ishiba took office as prime minister. This has led to doubts among the people as well as comments and criticisms that his deeds do not match his words. That's also one of the reasons behind the cabinet's low public approval rating," said the expert.
The LDP, which ruled Japan for most of the post-war era, previously held 258 seats in the 465-member lower house, and it governed in coalition with Komeito, which held 32 seats.
The main opposition is the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan led by former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, which held 99 seats.
The election is expected to focus on key issues like political reform following the LDP's funding scandals, responses to inflation, and economic measures. Opposition parties are set to focus on undermining the LDP's dominance while coordinating among them.
Japan's prime minister dissolves lower house of parliament for general election
China's push toward a greener future is once again in the spotlight at this year's annual political "two sessions", as lawmakers are reviewing a draft ecological environment code, a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive legal framework for ecological protection.
The draft code was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.
Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020.
The rule of law has been continuously strengthened to support the country's green progress. China already has more than 30 laws related to environmental protection, along with over 100 sets of administrative regulations and more than 1,000 sets of local rules.
The latest legislative move comes amid China's historic gains in ecological conservation over the past decade or so. Championing green development, the country has recorded the world's fastest growth in forest resources and afforestation, led globally in renewable energy development, and achieved one of the fastest national reductions in energy intensity worldwide.
The 1,242-article draft has five chapters, covering areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
Scholars involved in drafting the legislation say the code goes beyond broad legal principles. It is also designed to address environmental issues that affect people's daily lives.
"Electric vehicles are becoming very common in China. My family has one. We all think it environment-friendly. But have you ever thought about this question: how do we deal with the first generation of EV batteries after they expire a few years later? The same goes for wind turbine blades and solar panels," said Ding Lin, assistant professor of the Renmin University of China.
China's environmental progress has drawn global attention in recent years, from improving air quality to expanding renewable energy. Yet amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, some observers have questioned whether the country will maintain the same pace of green transition.
"Last year during the COP30, even some friends who are very familiar with China asked me whether China will continue its green development path. I told them we have gradually worked out new policies. We have a very clear direction and goal. In a world full of uncertainties, we are providing the most certainty," said Wang Yi, an NPC deputy from east China's Zhejiang Province and professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a country pursuing modernization, taking the time to codify environmental laws sends a clear message: economic growth and environmental protection are not a trade-off to be managed, but a commitment to be upheld. For China, a beautiful environment is not a luxury for the future, it is a right for the present, and a responsibility to the next generation.
"This code reflects China's vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It shows how development and environmental protection can move forward together," said Lyu Zhongmei, vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.
China will accelerate the green transition across the board and cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by a total of 17 percent in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development submitted to the NPC for deliberation on March 5.
Chinese lawmakers review draft ecological environment code in major green legislative push
