Oct. By-Elections to Be 1st Test for Kishida's New Govt

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)--October's by-elections for the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors will be the first national elections since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reshuffled his cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership team last week, and will be a touchstone for the future of the new administration.

The results of the by-elections to be held in the Nagasaki No. 4 Lower House constituency and the Tokushima-Kochi Upper House district are expected to influence Kishida's strategy for dissolving the Lower House for a general election.

The Nagasaki by-election follows the death of LDP lawmaker Seigo Kitamura, former minister in charge of regional revitalization, in May, while the Tokushima-Kochi by-election comes after then LDP lawmaker Kojiro Takano resigned in June over his violence against a former secretary.

Both by-elections will be held on Oct. 22.

In the Nagasaki constituency, the LDP is aiming to defend its seat by fielding a newcomer. The opposition camp is backing a candidate from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who currently has a proportional representation seat in the Lower House.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]