Japan Ruling LDP Claims Historic Win in Lower House Election

Tokyo, Feb. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a historic landslide victory in Sunday’s House of Representatives election, winning 316 seats to occupy a standalone two-thirds majority of the 465 seats in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. This marked the first time in Japan’s postwar history that a single party has secured a two-thirds majority in the Lower House. The number of LDP seats–the combined total of single-seat constituency seats and proportional representation seats–is up from 198 just before the Jan. 27 start of the official campaign period for the general election. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, president of the LDP, is all but certain to be re-elected leader of the country at a special Diet session likely to be convened possibly Feb. 18 and then will form her second cabinet. The LDP overwhelmingly attained a so-called absolute stable majority, which means that the party will be able to secure the post of chair at the 17 standing committees of the Lower House and command a majority in all of the committees. Meanwhile, the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance suffered a crushing defeat, clinching only 49 seats, down by more than 70 pct from 172 just before the start of the official campaign period. Its co-leaders, Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, expressed their intention to resign, taking responsibility for the defeat. An election to pick its new leader will be held. Combined with the Japan Innovation Party, the LDP’s coalition partner, a massive ruling coalition with 352 members in the Lower House has emerged. The JIP won 36 seats, up from 34. At a meeting Monday, Takaichi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura confirmed the continuation of the LDP-JIP coalition. On the same day, the ruling parties held a meeting of their Diet affairs chiefs. Takashi Endo, the JIP’s Diet affairs head, told reporters later that talks are underway to convene a special Diet session Feb. 18. The LDP’s seat count surpassed the previous general election record of 308 seats won by the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan in the 2009 Lower House poll. A two-thirds majority in the chamber will allow the ruling camp to enact bills that are voted down in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, in which the LDP and the JIP are a minority. The coalition will also be able to propose a revision to the Constitution. Taking the general election victory as a mandate for her administration, Takaichi is expected to swiftly implement her key policies, such as her proactive yet responsible fiscal policy and the strengthening of national security. In a television program Sunday night, Takaichi indicated her plan to speed up efforts to consider a consumption tax reduction in a suprapartisan national congress to be established later. In the election, the LDP advocated reducing the consumption tax on food to zero for two years. “I am not thinking about ramming the consumption tax cut through with just the LDP,” she added. Takaichi said that there would be “no major changes” in the LDP’s leadership team or cabinet members following the election. The Centrist Reform Alliance, formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the LDP’ former coalition partner, right before the Jan. 23 dissolution of the Lower House, was unable to expand its support despite slamming the LDP for its endorsement of candidates involved in the high-profile “slush funds” scandal at the ruling party. Co-chief Noda said, “I will take the will of the people solemnly and humbly.” The JIP suffered one defeat to the LDP in the 19 single-seat constituencies in its home prefecture of Osaka, after taking them all in the previous Lower House election in October 2024. The Democratic Party for the People won a total of 28 seats, up from 27. Sanseito significantly increased its seats to 15 from two. Team Mirai also fared strongly, winning 11 seats, compared with zero just before the start of the official campaign period. The Japanese Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Tax Cuts Japan & Patriotic Alliance all struggled, reducing their seats to four from eight, to one from eight and to one from five, respectively. The Conservative Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party failed to win any seats. It was the first national election since Takaichi’s LDP formed a coalition with the JIP last October, after Komeito ended its 26-year partnership with the main ruling party. In the latest general election, 1,284 candidates competed for the 465 Lower House seats–289 single-seat constituency seats and 176 proportional representation seats. Voter turnout came to 56.26 pct, up from 53.85 pct in the previous October 2024 general election but the fifth lowest since the end of World War II. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]