A shock parliamentary election result in Japan has left the country in political limbo, after its ruling coalition suffered a rare defeat with no party winning enough seats to be given a clear mandate to lead.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito secured 215 seats in the lower house of parliament – 233 seats are needed to form a majority.
The main opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) won 148 seats, up from 98 previously.
Under the constitution, the parties now have 30 days to try to form a coalition government. There could be days or weeks of political jockeying ahead.
The LDP’s coalition still has a majority in the less powerful upper house.
The result is a major setback for Mr Ishiba, who only became prime minister less than a month ago.
Mr Ishiba’s decision to call a snap election was a political gamble that has backfired. His party has been significantly weakened.
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The election came amid widespread public anger at how the ruling party had handled a corruption scandal and discontent about the state of Japan’s stagnant economy.
Mr Ishiba told the state broadcaster: “The results so far have been extremely severe, and we take them very seriously.”
“I believe the voters are telling us to reflect more and become a party that lives up to their expectations,” he said.
Mr Ishiba took over leadership of the party from Fumio Kishdia who quit in September after months of declining popularity due to the cost-of-living crisis, and revelations of misused political donations.
Meanwhile, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the CDPJ, said: “We accomplished our goal of preventing the ruling coalition from a majority, which was a major achievement.”
The LDP has governed Japan for decades, during most of the country’s post-war era.
It now has a struggle ahead to cobble together a coalition government that will likely require political concessions and negotiations to get junior parties on board.
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This election drama is unprecedented in Japan. The country is known for its political stability. It’s a major US partner and a key anchor of regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
With growing concern among US allied countries about the rise of China and its assertive action in the South China Sea, a stable Japan is regarded as a lynchpin to efforts to counter Beijing’s ambitions.
With a US election on the doorstep, there is pressure on Japan to swiftly get its political house back in order.
