Japanese Prime Minister Sane Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a landslide victory in the country’s lower house of parliament on Sunday in snap elections called last month.
Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party president Sane Takaichi at party headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday as his party cruises to a landslide victory in snap polls. (Bloomberg)The LDP won a two-thirds majority in the lower house, largely thanks to Takaichi’s popularity in the country, Japanese media reported.
After his landslide victory, Takaichi said during his interview on Japan’s public television network NHK that he was ready to pursue policies that would make Japan strong and prosperous, news agency Associated Press reported.
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What do the numbers say?Japan’s lower house of parliament has 465 seats, of which the LDP alone won 316 seats early Monday and crossed a 261-seat majority to emerge as the single largest party. With this resounding victory, the party broke the record of winning 300 seats held by former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1986. The number also marks a record since the founding of the party in 1955.
In addition to the LDP’s own large numbers, its new ally, the Japan Innovation Party, also won 36 seats, resulting in the LDP-led coalition winning 352 seats, more than a two-thirds majority.
Although Takaichi’s party does not have a majority in the upper house, its gains in the snap election compared to pre-election levels in the lower house will give him enough momentum to push his right-wing policies that focus on strengthening Japan’s economy and military capabilities, the report added. It comes amid Japan’s growing tensions with China and Takaichi’s efforts to remain close to the United States.
Takaichi gambled on a snap election after only three months in office as the LDP struggled for support amid recent corruption and electoral concerns after ruling the country for decades.
He said he would “be flexible” and try to earn the opposition’s trust while sticking to his principles.
(With input from The Associated Press)
