Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–The 12-day campaign period for an election for Japan’s House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of parliament, kicked off Tuesday.

Political reform is a major issue in the campaigning for the Oct. 27 general election, following a slush funds scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Policies for economic revitalization and addressing the country’s declining birthrate are also high on the agenda.

Over 1,300 people are expected to file their candidacies in the election for the 465-seat Lower House–289 seats from single-seat constituencies and 176 proportional representation seats. In the previous 2021 race, 1,051 people filed their bids, the lowest number under the current electoral system.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said that his LDP and its partner, Komeito, aim to win at least 233 seats together, a majority in the Lower House. When the chamber was dissolved on Wednesday for the election, the ruling coalition had 288 seats combined- -256 for the LDP and 32 for Komeito.

The voting will be held just 26 days after Ishiba took office, the shortest such period in Japan’s post-World War II history. He called the short election to take advantage of the sense of renewal from his new administration.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]