Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato: We are studying a plan to convene an interim diet

According to the News Agency on the 16th, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said at a press conference held on the same day that he was "studying a plan to convene an interim diet on October 4" and said that he planned to make a final decision at the cabinet meeting on September 21. He said that if the schedule is followed, a new prime minister will be elected to succeed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on October 4.

Regarding the House of Representatives elections, Kato said that the LDP has put forward a schedule of "October 26 announcement, November 7 voting" schedule.

Kato said the term of the House of Representatives will expire on October 21, and local self-governing groups should also formally begin preparations for the election. He believes that if a new prime minister is elected in the provisional parliament on October 4, a new cabinet will also be formed on the same day. On October 8, the new prime minister will deliver a "speech on the letters", the policy address, and on October 11-13, he will be questioned by representatives of all parties, and then conclude the session of parliament. "In this case, if the House of Representatives is not dissolved, the election of the House of Representatives will be determined on November 7 in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Election of Public Office". Kato added, "But the opposition parties have called for a budget committee to be convened in both houses of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the final parliamentary election schedule will be judged by the new cabinet." (Reporter He Xinlei)