By Antoni Slodkowski

TOKYO (Reuters). Japan’s parliament will be dismantled on Thursday. The election will take place at the end the month. Fumio, the new prime minister of Japan, will compete against the unpopular opposition for the right to rebuild the country after the devastating pandemic.

According to polls, Kishida is enjoying reasonable public support eleven days into the job. It bodes well for him in his quest for a lower house majority and a Komeito partner party coalition.

Kishida said to reporters assembled at his office that “I want the election be used to communicate to the people what I’m trying to achieve and where we are aiming to go.”

Kishida reflected on the past 11 days and said, “I have had a busy schedule, but oddly I don’t feel tired. I feel fulfilled.”

Voters expect a government which will take decisive action against the outbreak and rebuild the economy. Recent Sankei newspaper poll revealed that 48% of respondents want the Kishida administration first to address coronavirus, then economic recovery.

Kishida’s party supports him pushing for coronavirus medications, which include supplying oral antiviral drug this year. He also promotes his vision to create a “new capitalism”, which focuses on economic growth.

The ruling party has also called for a sharp increase https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/with-an-eye-china-japans-ruling-party-makes-unprecedented-defence-spending-2021-10-13 in defence spending to acquire the capability to destroy ballistic missiles, amid China’s increasingly assertive posture over Taiwan.

The largest opposition party https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/main-parties-contesting-japans-lower-house-poll-2021-10-07, the Constitutional Democrats (CDPJ), led by Yukio Edano, has highlighted issues https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-politics/japans-largest-opposition-party-focuses-on-human-rights-in-party-platform-idUSKBN2H30MO?edition-redirect=in such as its support for same-sex marriage and different surnames for couples.

The LDP remains socially conservative https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-shadow-shogun-abe-assured-clout-over-next-pm-kishida-2021-09-30 and, while progress has been made on LGBTQ rights in society, Kishida has said he was not in favour of same-sex marriage.

Low support ratings pose the greatest challenge to Constitutional Democrats. The Asahi Shimbun Daily poll found that only 13% planned to vote, significantly lower than the LDP’s 47%. Other polls have shown support as low as the single digits.

While canvassing has already begun in some districts, officially the campaign will start on Oct. 19 and be followed by the ballot on Oct. 31, with the voting. Kishida will hold a press conference on Thursday evening.