Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, affixes a flower next to the name of a candidate confirmed to have successfully secured election, at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Oct. 31, 2021. LDP Secretary General Akira Amari is seen on the left. (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi)

       TOKYO -- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is expected to win at least the 233 seats it needs to form a majority on its own in Japan's 465-seat House of Representatives, as results from the Oct. 31 general election continue to be tallied.

       The LDP has governed in coalition with the smaller Komeito party since returning to power in late 2012.

       The election was called less than a month after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida assumed office on Oct. 4. He rose to the position after being elected president of the LDP, following a decision by his predecessor Yoshihide Suga not to run in the party leadership race.

       The general election was a test of public approval of the fledgling Kishida administration, as well as the previous administrations of prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Suga. The race was fought between the governing bloc of the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito, five opposition parties that formed a united front, and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), which aimed to form a third force. The five opposition parties, including the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, unified their candidates in 213 of the 289 single-seat constituencies to counter candidates backed by the governing parties.

       At issue in the election were the pros and cons of the "new capitalism" policy laid out by Prime Minister Kishida, as well as the government's coronavirus countermeasures and steps to bring about a recovery of the Japanese economy.

       A total of 1,051 candidates threw their hats in the ring for the election, with 857 in the single-seat constituencies and 194 in the proportional representation blocs (excluding those also running for the single-seat constituencies), vying for the 465 seats in the lower chamber.

       Of the 289 single-seat constituencies, about 40% were closely contested between the ruling and opposition candidates, according to prior surveys by media organizations.

       A total of 46,466 polling stations were set up nationwide, and they were open from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, with the exception of some areas. The general outcome of the election is expected to become clear in the small hours of Nov. 1.

       (Mainichi)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0