General elections are held in Japan today. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba suffers a setback: for the first time since 2009, the ruling LDP party has lost its absolute majority.
In Japan, the long-ruling LDP failed to achieve an outright majority in parliamentary elections for the first time since 2009, according to forecasts. It was still unclear on Sunday whether the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its former coalition partner Komeito would secure a governing majority, according to NHK television’s post-election polls.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called new elections shortly after taking office in early October to gain support for his reformist agenda. A coalition of the LDP and the center-right Komeito Party had a comfortable majority in the previous parliament with 288 seats. If the coalition falls short of the required majority of 233 seats, it would be a major setback for Japan’s LDP, which has been in power since 1955. The party’s popularity has suffered from high inflation and, most recently, a corruption scandal that contributed to the resignation of Ishiba’s predecessor, Fumio Kishida.
A model based on the NATO model
“I made my decision primarily based on their economic policies and measures to control inflation,” said Yoshihiro Uchida of Tokyo. “I voted for people who can change our lives for the better.”
The 67-year-old has announced plans to revitalize economically depressed areas and tackle Japan’s shrinking population with family-friendly measures such as flexible working hours. He also spoke out in favor of a NATO-style regional military alliance – but said it “won’t happen overnight”.
Ishiba has set a target of 233 seats needed for a majority. Failure to do so would jeopardize his position in the LTP. Then he has to find other coalition partners or lead a minority government. Local media speculated that Ishiba may resign immediately after taking over. This would make him the leader of the shortest-lived Japanese government since the end of World War II. (APA/AFP)
