Even with the support of its coalition partner, the once-mighty Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has fallen short of the 233 seats it needs for a majority in Japan’s powerful lower house after the weekend parliamentary election. The LDP, which has ruled almost continually since 1955, is paying a heavy price for the deicision of its new leader Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to call a snap, unnecessary election just three days into his new tenure. He had beaten hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi last month on his fifth attempt to become president of the ruling party.
Voters had been angered by the mishandling of the economy, soaring prices, and reports that politicians had been enriching themselves in a scandal over party funding. The LDP’s reputation had been further damaged by revelations of many of its legislators’ links with the secretive Unification Church.
Both the LDP and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main beneficiary of the election– though also a long way from a majority– will now have a 30-day window to form a grouping capable of governing in negotiations with smaller parties.
Ishiba has said he is not giving up. However, Japan’s much-vaunted political stability will inevitably come under strain. And the parties will face an even harder-fought upper house election next year.
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Any new government faces huge challenges. The already sluggish economy slipped back into recession last year with the yen falling to a four-year low over the summer. The heavily indebted country – a quarter of government spending is eaten up by debt repayments – must also contend with the spiralling costs of supporting its rapidly-ageing population.
This is against a background of increasing pressure to radically and at enormous cost revamp its military capabilities, and implement its new defence doctrine, in the face of growing perceived threats from China and North Korea.
A shaky coalition will not help turn the country around or enable it to face such challenges.