Japanese PM denies considering snap election

TOKYO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he is not thinking about dissolving the lower house of parliament for a snap election, a day after his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won parliamentary by-elections in four of five seats.

"As we have to carry out important policies one by one, I am not thinking of dissolution and a general election for the moment," Kishida told reporters at the prime minister's office.

There has been speculation that Kishida may have been planning to call an election after the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima next month amid improvement in approval ratings for his cabinet.

On Sunday, the ruling LDP led by Kishida secured four of the five seats up for grabs in parliamentary by-elections, while the opposition Japan Innovation Party won one.

The LDP beat opposition party candidates in three constituencies of the House of Representatives, or the lower house, and one constituency of the House of Councillors, the upper house.

Japan Innovation Party defeated the LDP to newly secure a lower house seat, while the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lost in all three constituencies where it fielded official candidates.