Following Japan’s general election on Sunday, the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner Komeito fell short of the majority threshold, ushering in political uncertainty for the world’s third-largest economy already grappling with numerous challenges.
The LDP and Komeito secured 215 seats out of the 465 in the powerful House of Representatives, falling below the 233 seats required for a majority. The LDP alone won 191 seats, a significant decrease from the 247 seats it held prior to the election.
In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) made substantial gains, increasing its representation from 98 seats to 148 seats. Yoshihiko Noda, head of the CDP, remarked that the outcome demonstrated voters’ desire for political reform.
“This election reflects the public’s call for change and a new direction in our nation’s politics,” Noda stated.
The results align with media forecasts, as public outrage over the LDP’s funding scandal persisted throughout the campaign. This marks the first time since 2009 that the ruling coalition has lost its majority.
The election outcome is expected to intensify inter-party negotiations among ruling and opposition blocs as they navigate legislative priorities and potential coalition-building efforts.
Following the poor showing, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba acknowledged the public’s “harsh judgment” and indicated plans to seek cooperation from other parties sharing policy alignments to stabilize his government, according to public broadcaster NHK.
“We must humbly accept the people’s verdict and work towards restoring their trust,” Ishiba stated.
Smaller parties, such as the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and the Japan Innovation Party, may now play crucial roles in forming a government. The DPP secured 28 seats, while the Japan Innovation Party gained 38 seats, NHK reported.
However, DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki has rejected the idea of joining the ruling coalition, and the Japan Innovation Party has also expressed reservations about working with the LDP and Komeito, according to Kyodo News.
As mandated by the constitution, the Diet must convene a special session within 30 days of the election to elect the prime minister. Typically, if the ruling coalition holds a majority, the prime minister is elected in the first round of voting. However, with no clear majority, if no candidate secures a majority in the initial vote, the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff.
This election saw a record number of candidates, with 1,344 individuals running for seats in the country’s 50th House of Representatives election, surpassing the 1,051 candidates in the previous election in 2021.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
