Japan’s House of Representatives election, held on Sunday (October 27th), is still undergoing vote-counting after the polls closed. According to the latest update from Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), with 90% of the seats confirmed, the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito have only secured 192 out of 465 seats. Previous exit polls indicated that the ruling LDP alone or in coalition with Komeito is set to lose the majority in the House of Representatives in this election, adding a new element of uncertainty to Japan’s political scene and the formation of the next government.
Nippon TV’s exit polls show that the LDP, led by newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and its ally Komeito, have only won 198 out of the 465 seats in the Lower House elections, falling short of the 233 seats needed for a majority.
The largest opposition party in Japan, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), is the biggest winner in the House of Representatives election, expected to secure 157 seats.
Reuters reports that the voters’ intentions in Japan reflect strong dissatisfaction with the political donation scandals within LDP factions and Japan’s high inflation, hence using their votes to punish the ruling party.
Reuters also suggests that the election results may force political parties to engage in alliances and power-sharing deals to secure a majority, adding uncertainty to Japan’s political landscape amid economic challenges and deteriorating security in East Asia.
Nine days after Japan’s election, the country’s most crucial ally, the United States, is also gearing up for its presidential election, with the current situation showing a tight race between the two main candidates, making the outcome unpredictable.
“This election has been very challenging for us,” a serious-faced Shigeru Ishiba told Tokyo Broadcasting System (TV Tokyo) on Sunday night with 40% of the votes still uncounted.
He mentioned that he will consider potential alliances or other power-sharing deals once the final vote count is in.
NHK’s exit polls suggest that Ishiba’s ruling coalition is projected to win between 174 and 254 seats in the Lower House, while the CDPJ could secure 128 to 191 seats.
According to Kyodo News, CDPJ leader Yukio Edano expressed a positive attitude towards cooperating with other parties in an interview on Sunday night and aims to become the next prime minister.
“My position is that allowing the ruling party to continue is not acceptable. If there is consensus on advancing thorough political reforms, I hope to engage in dialogues with other parties,” Edano stated.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not seek re-election at the end of his term as leader of the LDP faction in late September due to a political donation scandal. Following a two-round vote in the LDP leadership election, Ishiba emerged victorious and assumed the position of Prime Minister on October 1st. He promptly dissolved the Lower House on October 9th for a new election.
Reuters notes that none of the parties have secured a majority of seats in the House of Representatives election, allowing smaller parties like the Democratic Party of the People and Japan Innovation Party to play a crucial role in coalition-building for governmental power.
NHK’s exit polls show that the Democratic Party of the People is expected to win between 20 and 33 seats, while the Japan Innovation Party is projected to secure 28 to 45 seats. However, Reuters points out that the policy stances of these two key minority parties significantly differ from those of the LDP.
The vote-counting process in Japan is still ongoing, with official election results expected to be announced in the early hours of Monday local time.
(Translated from Voice of America)