Japan's ruling LDP eyeing no consumption tax on food as election looms

TOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will pledge to consider suspending the consumption tax on food in its platform for an expected general election to be called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a senior executive said Sunday.

Shunichi Suzuki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, said during a TV program that the party's basic stance is to "sincerely follow through on the coalition agreement" with the Japan Innovation Party, in which the two agreed to consider legal steps to suspend the tax on food for two years.