Tokyo: Japan’s ruling party and its coalition ally won a major victory in Sunday’s parliamentary election that was engulfed in meaning following the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, amid uncertainty over how his loss could undermine party unity. can affect. The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition ally Komito increased their combined share in the 248-seat chamber to 146 in the election for half of the seats in the less powerful upper house – far more than the majority. With the boost, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stands to rule without interruption until a scheduled election in 2025. This would allow Kishida to work on national security, his signature, but still vaguely “new capitalism” economic policy, and long-term policies like his. The party’s long-cherished goal is to amend the US-drawn post-war pacifist constitution.
A charter change proposal is now a possibility. With the help of two opposition parties in support of the charter change, the governing bloc now has a two-thirds majority in the chamber required to propose an amendment, making it a realistic possibility. The governing bloc has already found support in the second chamber.
Party unity more important than anything else: Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida welcomed the big victory but was not smiling at Abe’s defeat and the difficult task of unifying his party without him.
In a media interview late Sunday, Kishida reiterated: “Party unity is more important than anything else.”
He said the response to COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising prices would be his priorities. He said he would continue to push for a constitutional amendment to strengthen Japan’s national security as well.
Kishida and senior party lawmakers observed a moment of silence for Abe at the party election headquarters before putting up whiteboard victory ribbons next to the names of candidates who had secured their seats.
Abe, 67, was shot on Friday during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara and died of massive blood loss. He was Japan’s longest-serving political leader with two terms in office, and although he stepped down in 2020, was deeply influential in the LDP leading its largest faction, the Sewakai.
Abe’s assassination could result in sympathy votes. The turnout on Sunday was around 52%, almost 3 points higher than the previous 48.8% in 2019.
“It was very meaningful that we held the election,” Kishida said on Sunday. “Our effort to protect democracy continues.”
Shinzo Abe’s body returned to his home in Tokyo
Shinzo Abe’s body has been returned to his home in Tokyo’s upcoming ShibuyaWhere many condolences, including Kishida and the party’s top office bearers, paid tribute. His wake-up and last rites are expected in the coming days.
On Sunday, the suspect in his murder was transferred to a local prosecutor’s office for further investigation, and a top regional police officer admitted that a possible security lapse caused the gunman to get closer to Abe and attack him. Allowed to fire from house gun.
Suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami told investigators He acted because of a rumor that Abe was allegedly affiliated with an organization that angered him., police said, but there was no problem with the former leader’s political views. According to media reports, the man was hated by a religious group his mother was obsessed with and that bankrupted a family business, with some identifying the group as the Unification Church.
Nara Prefectural Police Chief Tomoyaki Onizuka said on Saturday that the problems with security were undeniable, that he took the shooting seriously and would review security procedures.
Japan is known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, there were only 21 criminal cases related to guns in 2020, according to the latest government crime sheet. Experts say, however, that some recent attacks have involved the use of consumer goods such as gasoline, which increases the risk for ordinary people engaging in mass attacks.