LDP-Led Coalition Seen Reaching Majority in Lower House

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has asked three independent lawmakers to cooperate with the LDP in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, it was learned Thursday. The LDP-led coalition currently holds 230 of the Lower House’s 465 seats. With the three independents, its share would reach the majority threshold of 233 seats. The coalition lost its majorities in the Lower House last year and in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, this year. In the Upper House, it currently has 119 seats, six short of the majority line of 125. LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki will meet with the three independents–Hiroki Abe, Takeshi Saiki and Tadashi Morishima–as early as Friday. The three were members of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), which replaced Komeito as the LDP’s coalition partner last month. In September, they submitted resignation letters to Nippon Ishin due to frustration with its leadership. However, the party refused to accept their resignations and expelled them instead. They have since acted as a group. In October’s parliamentary vote to elect the prime minister, they backed LDP President Sanae Takaichi, who then became prime minister. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]