Tokyo, Feb 10 (NationPress) A special parliamentary session is set to take place in Japan on February 18 to select the country's next prime minister, following the House of Representatives election that occurred on Sunday, as reported by local media on Tuesday.

According to Jiji Press, the Japanese Constitution mandates that an extraordinary Diet session must be called within 30 days after a House of Representatives election to appoint a new prime minister. On the inaugural day of this session, the existing cabinet will collectively step down. The newly-elected House of Representatives, along with the current House of Councillors, will then hold separate votes to confirm the new prime minister, who will subsequently establish a new cabinet.

In the voting process for the prime minister, a candidate who achieves a majority in the initial voting round in both chambers wins outright. If no candidate secures a majority, the top two contenders will proceed to a runoff, where the winner is determined by a simple majority. Should the two chambers nominate different candidates and fail to reach an agreement after discussions, the Constitution dictates that the decision of the influential House of Representatives takes precedence.

Given that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) currently commands over two-thirds of the seats in the lower house, Japanese media outlets suggest that LDP President and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is highly likely to emerge victorious in the upcoming designation election, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

After the recent lower house election, Japan's ruling LDP made substantial gains in seats and independently secured a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives.

Analysts note that LDP President and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi capitalized on the opportunity before the adverse impacts of her policies became apparent, solidifying her governing base through a rapid and entertainment-driven election.

Nonetheless, Japan continues to grapple with profound economic and social issues amid increasing apprehensions regarding Takaichi's accelerated shift towards a political rightward trajectory. For the Takaichi administration, the genuine challenges may just be commencing.

The ruling LDP claimed 316 out of 465 seats in the House of Representatives, surpassing the two-thirds threshold. Its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), secured 36 seats, bringing their combined total to 352 seats.

On the opposing front, the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), recently formed prior to the election by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and the Komeito party, witnessed its seat count plummet to 49 from the pre-election total of 172.