TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo's popular governor announced Monday that she is launching a new political party to challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party in national elections expected next month.
Yuriko Koike said she is heading the Hope Party and plans to send candidates to vie for some of the 475 seats in the lower house.
Abe was expected to announce later Monday that he plans to dissolve the lower house of Japan's two-chamber parliament on Thursday and call snap elections for Oct. 22.
Koike said her party will be conservative and push for transparency in government, women's advancement, elimination of nuclear energy and other reforms. Several parliamentarians, including defectors from the main opposition Democratic Party, have announced their intention to join her party.
"This is going to be a new force formed by members aiming to achieve reforms and conservativism," Koike said. "We are going to create a Japan where there is hope for everyone that tomorrow will certainly be better than today."
Koike's regional Tokyoites First no Kai group won a landslide victory in the city assembly election in July, dealing a major blow to Abe's scandal-plagued ruling party. On Monday, she reminded voters of cronyism scandals that led Abe's government's support ratings to fall below 30 percent in July.
Support for Abe's party has since rebounded, helped somewhat by a Cabinet reshuffle last month and the scandals' fading during parliament's recess.
The Democrats, which held power in 2009-2012, have lost ground since then, largely due to party disagreements.