However, the prime minister has the authority to dissolve the lower chamber and call a general election at willThis scenario would see official campaigning for the national poll kick off on Oct 10, with voters thereafter casting their ballots on Oct 22ror体育官方网站A lower house election must be held by December 2018 as this is when the four-year terms of current lower house lawmakers expireIf Abe goes ahead with his plan to call a snap election, then three by-elections that have been slated to take place on Oct 22 would be replaced by the general electionThe opposition camp, however, has criticized Abror体育官方网站e's move to call a snap election, with some accusing him of merely trying to escape from the influence-peddling scandals he is currently implicated in and engineering his stay in power"Nikai on Tuesday, during a meeting of ruling LDP executives reportedly conveyed Abe's intentions and relayed the party's determination to get all of its candidates fielded in the race