Crushing defeat for Japan's ruling party in election

In the House of Representatives election held on Monday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a significant blow, failing to secure the 233 seats needed for a majority, even with support from the Komeito Party and pro-government independents. This marks the LDP's worst election result since the Japan Democratic Party assumed power in 2009. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who dissolved the Diet and called for a general election just eight days after taking office, is now under pressure to resign after less than a month in office.

The final vote count revealed that the LDP won only 191 seats, a decrease of 56 from the previous 247. The Komeito Party also lost ground, winning 24 seats, down by 8. Among the 12 independents, only six are considered aligned with the ruling coalition. The ruling parties hold 215 seats, which still falls short of a majority.

In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party increased its presence significantly, securing 148 seats—an increase of 50 from 98. Collectively, opposition parties won 235 seats, which could challenge the ruling coalition's authority. The LDP's inability to achieve a majority complicates its ability to re-nominate the prime minister without opposition parties' support in the extraordinary Diet session scheduled for November 7. Should the opposition unite against the LDP and Komeito, they could change the prime minister and the government structure.

To navigate this crisis, the LDP is attempting to negotiate with more cooperative opposition factions, such as the Democratic Party for the People and the Nippon Ishin no Kai. However, if negotiations falter, the government may face a "vegetable regime," leaving Prime Minister Ishiba under increasing pressure to resign. The Yomiuri Shimbun reports indicate that calls for his resignation are already emerging within the LDP following the disappointing election results.


도쿄=이상훈 특파원 sanghun@donga.com