For the first time in 15 years, the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner, Komeito, have lost their Lower House majority, following a clear rout in the general election on Oct. 27 – a shift that opens up a potential path for the opposition to steer the lower chamber’s agenda if they can act cohesively.
The loss of the majority was likely to prompt Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to seek a third party to join the coalition in order to remain in power – a move that would necessitate negotiations, or even concessions.
Negotiating with a third party for its backing in parliament for every bill would exacerbate political instability and drastically reduce the LDP’s authority over the coalition, making Ishiba’s administration even shakier. The policymaking process would inevitably become more fragmented and laborious. Within the LDP, calls are now growing for accountability among the party leadership in the wake of the electoral drubbing.
The LDP and Komeito had a comfortable 288 seats before the Lower House was dissolved on Oct. 9. But the LDP, with 191 seats, and Komeito, with 24, only managed to secure a combined 215 seats, falling short of the 233 needed for a simple majority. (The Japan Times)
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