Japan’s ruling LDP at risk of losing majority in election, Nikkei poll shows
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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the Lower House of Parliament on Oct 9, setting up the snap election.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO – Japan's ruling party may lose its sole majority in the Lower House for the first time in 15 years, the Nikkei newspaper said on Oct 17, citing its poll ahead of the Oct 27 election.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may not reach the 233 seats it needs for an outright majority in the 465-seat chamber, Nikkei said, based on polling estimates for directly elected candidates and those chosen by proportional representation.
It would be the first time the LDP did not have sole control of the Lower House since 2009. It could still form a coalition government with its longstanding partner Komeito.
The poll, conducted by phone along with the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, was carried out nationwide on Oct 15 and 16, garnering 165,820 valid responses, Nikkei said.
A poll by broadcaster TBS released on Oct 16 showed the LDP may lose about 30 seats, while Komeito may shed a small number. A Kyodo poll published on Oct 17 also pointed to challenges for the LDP to secure a majority.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the Lower House of Parliament on Oct 9, setting up the snap election.
He became the leader of the party in September after his predecessor Fumio Kishida ended his three-year premiership due to public distrust stemming from a string of funding scandals involving LDP politicians.
Mr Ishiba sent an offering to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on the morning of Oct 17, Kyodo news reported. Past offerings have been protested by South Korea and China due to the shrine's connections to Japan's wartime past. REUTERS
