Stronger hand for Japan’s coalition
Japan’s ruling coalition has won a resounding victory in lower house elections, strengthening Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s hold on power as he prepares to push forward on several politically difficult fronts.
The conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled for most of the post-Second World War era, locked up a solid majority, and appeared headed to win at least two-thirds of the House of Representatives with its coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komei party.
In a series of TV interviews from party headquarters, Abe said his top priority was the economy. “Economy first,” he told national broadcaster NHK, adding that he would also tackle other major issues, including national security.
The US government hopes Abe will be able to ensure the passage of a series of bills needed to expand Japan’s military role, so that it can play a bigger part in their alliance. A heated debate is expected when parliament takes up the legislation, after local elections in April.
With most of the votes counted, the Liberal Democrats had won more than 280 of the 475 seats in the lower house, and topped 310 with the Komei party, according to NHK. The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, had won about 70 seats.
The big victory will give a boost to Abe’s agenda, including economic reforms, nuclear plant restarts and his long-term goal of revising Japan’s constitution. But opposition from vested interests and large segments of the public could still stymie his plans.
“I believe the results show we have received a public mandate for the Abe administration’s achievement over the past two years,” Abe said in a TV interview with Tokyo Broadcasting System. “But we should not be complacent about the results.”
Abe, who took office two years ago, called the snap election last month, saying he wanted a fresh mandate for his economic revitalisation programme, known as Abenomics.
Share prices have risen and many companies have reported record profits, but the recovery has faltered in recent months, with the country returning to recession after a sales tax hike chilled demand among consumers and businesses.
Despite weakening popularity ratings, a recession and messy campaign finance scandals, the Liberal Democrats were virtually certain to triumph thanks to voter apathy and a weak opposition. The popularity of the Democratic Party of Japan, which held power from 2009 to 2012, plunged after it failed to deliver on campaign pledges and struggled in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters.
Abe’s agenda includes trying to carry out labour market reforms and secure a trans-Pacific trade agreement that faces stiff opposition from the farm lobby and others.
