Japan PM Takaichi to dissolve lower house on Friday for Feb. 8 election

TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives on Jan. 23 for a snap general election set for Feb. 8.

At a press conference, Takaichi said she will dissolve the 465-member lower house on Friday, the opening day of this year's ordinary parliamentary session.

Voting will take place on Feb. 8, with official campaigning starting from Jan. 27, she added.

The election, the first since Takaichi took office on Oct. 21, is set to come with more than two years left in the current lower house term.

Last week, Takaichi informed senior members from her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Japan Innovation Party of her intention to dissolve the all-important lower chamber.

To battle the ruling bloc, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Komeito party, a former longtime LDP ally, agreed Thursday to form the Centrist Reform Alliance, which would be the largest opposition force, for the upcoming contest.