With the extension of the coronavirus state of emergency, it is widely believed that it would be difficult to dissolve the House of Representatives in September as intended by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party.
The LDP has begun coordinating efforts to kick off its presidential election campaign on Sept. 17 and hold the vote on Sep. 29.
Suga's current term as LDP president ends on Sep. 30.
The possibility is growing that Suga will have to win re-election as party president before facing a lower house election.
Suga's initial strategy focused on making every effort to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic and dissolving the lower house soon after the Tokyo Paralympics, which ends on Sept. 5.
He had hoped to delay holding the LDP presidential election until after an October lower house election. Suga expected to secure re-election as president effectively uncontested after his party's victory in the lower house election.
However, coronavirus cases are rising nationwide, and the approval rating for the Cabinet has remained at record low levels.
The lower house can still be dissolved in September if the infection situation improves dramatically in the near future, but views are now spreading among officials of the ruling parties that the lower house election should not be rushed.
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