Japan's ruling coalition lost its majority in the lower house.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Komeito Party, won a combined total of 215 seats, falling short of the 233 needed to secure a majority.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru speaks to the press on October 27.

NHK reported on October 28 that the ruling coalition failed to retain its majority in the Japanese Lower House, while the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), gained significantly.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Komeito Party, won a total of 215 seats.

This figure is lower than the 279 seats they previously held, marking their worst election result since the LDP briefly lost power in 2009. Their majority in the lower house is 233 seats.

Following the October 27th election, Prime Minister Ishiba will now need to seek additional support outside the coalition to run a stable government .

However, according to Kyodo, Ishiba has expressed his eagerness to form a new government led by his party. Opposition parties, including liberal and right-wing forces, are also expected to try to cooperate in forming a coalition due to differences in their policy goals.

This dismal result reflects the LDP's impact from the slush fund scandal, signaling a major shift in the support that helped the party return to power in 2012 after a period as the opposition.

With a somber expression, Mr. Ishiba described the election results as "difficult," while expressing hope to continue leading the government to advance the coalition's policies.

Komeito Keiichi Ishii, who had only taken office a month ago, lost his seat and became the first leader of the coalition party to suffer a defeat since 2009. Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato and Justice Minister Hideki Makihara also lost their seats in the election.

Meanwhile, the CDP won 140 seats, a significant increase from its previous 98. "Voters have chosen the party best suited to push for political reform. That's why we received so much support," said CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda.

According to Kyodo's estimates, voter turnout was 53.81%, about 2% lower than the previous election in 2021. The number of female lawmakers reached 55, a record high.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lien-minh-cam-quyen-tai-nhat-ban-mat-the-da-so-o-ha-vien-185241028064019426.htm