As polls predicted, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) headed by Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and its coalition partner, Komeito, would get more than half of the seats at stake in the Japanese Senate. (Parliament) in Sunday’s elections (10/7/2022), which took place in light of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead during an election rally.
The PLD will get between 59 and 69 seats, while Komeito will get between 13 and 20, according to calculations. In addition to the 52 and 10 seats held by these parties respectively that will not be changed by this election, the available data suggest that the ruling coalition will achieve greater parliamentary representation.
The chamber holds 248 seats, half plus one of which was up for election to renew 50 percent of the council every three years. Another important fact: the collapse of the main opposition to Kishida, represented by the main Constitutional Democratic Party, which will remain between 13 and 20 seats, 23 less than the one it had before the vote. The emerging and conservative “initiatives from Japan” are expected to win at least 10, up from the previous six.
The majority for reform
It remains to be seen the total number of seats won by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Buddhist Komeito Party, the initiatives from Japan and the People’s Democratic Party, all of whom favor an amendment to the pacifist Japanese constitution. If they all get 82 seats, as seems at least from dropping the NHK, they would be free to declare a primary referendum to change the Magna Carta.
Also, participation in the elections in light of the killing of Abe has not yet appeared. All parties unanimously defended the holding of the elections despite the shock of the crime. “Elections are the cornerstone of democracy and democracy must be defended,” Kishida said on Friday.
DZC (EFE, Europe Press)
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