No-confidence motion against Ishiba Cabinet ruled out: lawmaker

KYODO NEWS - 3 minutes ago - 17:44 | All, Japan
Yoshihiko Noda, head of Japan's main opposition party, has ruled out submitting a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet, lawmakers said Thursday, making same-day elections for both chambers of parliament in July unlikely.
The ruling bloc led by Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party does not hold a majority in the House of Representatives. A no-confidence motion, if passed, would require the prime minister to dissolve the 465-member chamber or the Cabinet to resign en masse within 10 days.
After talks with Noda, Seiji Maehara, co-head of the opposition Japan Innovation Party, quoted him as saying a political vacuum should be avoided amid concerns over higher U.S. tariffs and rising tensions in the Middle East.
The House of Councillors election is expected to be held on July 20, following the end of the current 150-day regular parliamentary session on Sunday, with Ishiba's government struggling to bridge differences with the United States over tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Ishiba has expressed readiness to dissolve the lower house for a snap election if Noda's Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan submits a no-confidence motion during the ordinary Diet session, sources close to him said.
Noda's party is the only opposition party able to submit a motion on its own, but it would need support from others for it to pass.
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