TOKYO, Oct 28 – Japan’s ruling camp lost its majority in the House of Representatives in Sunday’s election, dealing a heavy blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba who must now look for additional support outside the coalition to run a stable government.
The dismal results underscored deepening distrust in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party due to a slush funds scandal, signaling a seismic shift in the support that enabled it to return to power in 2012.
The coalition would still fall short of a majority in the powerful lower house even if Ishiba accepts back into the LDP former party lawmakers who ran as independents after being denied LDP endorsement over the scandal.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which had presented itself as an alternative to a ruling party seen as awash in “secret money,” saw a substantial increase in seats as it aims to bring about a change of government.
The LDP-Komeito coalition missed its goal of crossing the majority line of 233 in the 465-member lower house, having held a combined 288 seats before the election.
The post-election outlook is uncertain, with some major opposition parties that made notable gains rejecting the possibility of joining a government with the ruling bloc.
After the election, Ishiba said the LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the postwar era, is “far from gaining the public’s understanding” over the slush funds scandal. But he expressed hope to keep leading the government to promote the coalition’s policies.
