Latest results from Japan’s general election on Monday show that the ruling coalition comprising the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito has failed to cross the 233-seat majority required to gain power in the 465-seat House of Representatives. Unless it attracts more coalition partners, the long-ruling LDP risks losing power.
The major reason for the LDP’s crushing defeat is corruption. In the past two years, the party has been plagued by numerous scandals. To quell the public’s anger, several Cabinet ministers were replaced or asked to step down. However, that had little impact and former prime minister Fumio Kishida’s approval rating continued to dip, leading to his ultimate resignation. Shigeru Ishiba, a peripheral figure who took over a troubled LDP leadership on Oct 1, hoped to cash in on the enthusiasm generated by his rise by dissolving the House of Representatives on Oct 9 and unleashing an “election blitzkrieg” on an unprepared opposition. However, the outcome of the sudden election shows it has been a great disappointment for him too.
This is the first time since 2009 that the LDP has lost its majority in parliament; it is also the biggest crisis the LDP faces since 2012.
There are now two options before the LDP: Either it attracts one or two more coalition partners apart from the Komeito to form a ruling coalition, or the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan forms a coalition government with smaller parties, resulting in another historic fall from power for the LDP.
Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain: a multiparty government, marked by constant bickering and relentless criticism between the ruling and opposition parties, signifies a highly unstable period in Japan’s political arena. The possibility of frequent changes in prime ministers cannot be ruled out.
If there is a lesson to be learned from all this it is that corruption can indeed erode security. Not only has the LDP suffered a significant loss of seats in this election, but several of its senior members failed to win.
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