TOKYO -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to dissolve the lower house for a snap election next month, hoping to capitalize on an uptick in public support before the opposition has a chance to regroup and mount a formidable challenge.
Abe told Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of coalition partner Komeito, and others of his plans to call an election, likely for Oct. 22, sending ruling and opposition parties into campaign mode. It would be the first general election since December 2014.
