Tokyo, Oct. 31 (BNA) Japanese voters went to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to support the conservative Fumio Kishida government or weaken the new prime minister and possibly return the world’s third-largest economy to a period of political uncertainty.
The vote is a test for Kishida, who called the election shortly after taking the top job early this month, and for his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has been battered by its mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Already, Kishida has struggled to advance policies to help the poor, while securing a significant increase in military spending and taking a tougher line on China.
Opinion polls show that with its lackluster image failing to inspire voters, the LDP is on the verge of losing its majority in parliament for the first time since 2009, although its alliance with its junior partner Komeito will remain in power.
“It’s hard to say the epidemic is completely eradicated and society is stable, so we shouldn’t have any major changes in coronavirus policy,” Naoki Okura, a doctor, said after the vote in Tokyo.
“Instead of demanding a change in government, I think we should demand continuity.”
Voting ends at 8 p.m. (11:00 GMT), with expected results likely to come shortly thereafter from media polls.
Several key LDP lawmakers face particularly tough competition, including Akira Amari, the party’s general secretary.
Sheila Smith, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a blog: “Revolving-door prime ministers are a weakness that many outside Japan fear. Prime Minister Kishida will need a united and strong party showcasing on October 31 if he is to succeed in tackling Japan’s difficult national agenda. “.
Participation will be crucial, because high turnout tends to favor opposition. As of 2 p.m., turnout was 21.49%, down 0.34 points from the previous House poll — but 16.6 million had previously voted, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
The largest opposition group, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is expected to win seats but it will come close to toppling Kishida’s coalition.
Office worker Daisuke Matsumoto, 27, said: “The only party that has policies targeting people in their twenties and thirties are the Constitutional Democrats, such as income tax and so on. It is true that other parties have policies aimed at raising children, but what about those who are not? They have children?”
A massive loss of LDP seats could lead to internal conflict between the two parties, sending Japan back to an era of short-lived administrations that reduced its global standing, until Shinzo Abe led the country for a record eight years until September 2020. Influence within the alliance.
Uncertainty is high. According to the Nikkei newspaper, 40% of single-seat districts have close races, and recent polls indicate that 40% of voters are undecided.
Kishida’s stated goal is for his coalition to retain a majority, at least 233 seats, of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives. Before the election, the coalition had a two-thirds majority of 305, with the Liberal Democratic Party receiving 276.
Investors and political observers focus on whether the Liberal Democratic Party – in power for all but short periods since its formation in 1955 – can maintain its majority as a single party. Losing that would undermine Kishida’s power base in the LDP and the party’s position against the Komeito party.
The divided opposition is usually united, arranging only one party – including the widely shunned Japanese Communist Party – to take on the alliance in most areas, with analysts saying this creates a number of fierce battles.
But the opposition failed to win the hearts of voters, with only 8% supporting the Constitutional Democrats while 39% backed the Liberal Democratic Party, according to a poll conducted by public broadcaster NHK last week.
However, some voters — such as Yoshihiko Suzuki, who voted for the Constitutional Democrat in his constituency and Communists for proportional representation — hope the poll to teach the LDP will be a lesson.
Suzuki, 68, a retiree, said Abe’s eight years in power made the LDP feel complacent and arrogant, underlined by a series of money and crony scandals.
“I hope this election will serve as a wake-up call for them. If that happens, the LDP will become a better party, given the number of talented lawmakers they have,” he added.
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