Government announces December 16 vote
Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Japan will go to the polls in a general election on 16 December. After two weeks of delays and denials, last night, a government official confirmed that the elections will be held before the end of the fiscal year.
Asumi Jun, deputy secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, said: "We are ready for a quick campaign, which will begin on December 4." According to the leader of the PDJ, the decision to go to the polls was taken after a meeting between the current Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his predecessor, the opposition leader Shinzo Abe.
Abe, touted to become (again) the next prime minister, has agreed to consider a proposal for electoral reform. In return he has asked the dissolution of parliament tomorrow, November 16th. Noda had repeatedly expressed his readiness to hold new elections, but only in exchange for proportional electoral reform.
12/04/2012