Japan (Washington Insider Magazine) -The people of Japan head to the polls on Sunday as the LDP hope to keep the hold on power it’s had over the country for most of the last 65 years.
Fumio Kishida only recently was voted in as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party after his predecessor Yoshihide Suga stepped down only a year into the job. The 21st century in Japan has been marred by constant turnover in the LDP and consequently Japanese leadership. Suga’s predecessor Shinzo Abe bucked the trend with an unprecedented eight-year stint in power but was forced to step down due to ill health.
Polls say the LDP may struggle to hold onto their majority. It is expected that they will form a coalition with their previous junior partner Komeito if they fail to reach the 233 seats required for a majority.
The LDP’s usual stranglehold is being threatened by a widespread unification of opposition parties, who have coordinated candidates in a large number of districts. Many of the 289 first-past-the-post constituencies have been left with only 2 candidates with any significant chance of winning, with 213 fielding unified opposition candidates.
Competing for the 465 seats in the Diet’s lower house is a record low of 1,051 candidates.
Dissatisfaction with the LDP is higher than in previous years due to the drawn-out pandemic response, the absence of a substantial economic rebound and controversy surrounding the Tokyo Olympics.
Kishida’s promised to spearhead a new form of the LDP party that will champion a “new form of capitalism” which will be more equitable whilst also ramping up anti-China hyperbole to match the doubling of defence spending he’s called for.
Both sides have failed to catch the public’s imagination, with the turnout expected to not be far off the post-war record low of 52.55% from 2014.
Less than 20% of those running are women.
