New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces major obstacles in pushing his ambitious defence agenda as polling suggests his party will lose ground in Sunday’s general election, forcing it to lean more heavily on its pacifist coalition partner.
Polling ahead of the October 27 election indicates the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may lose its majority in the lower house, which means it is likely it will have to rely on its coalition partner, Komeito, to remain in power.
The LDP, which has held sole control of the chamber since it returned to power in 2012 after three years in opposition, may struggle to reach the 233 seats needed for an outright majority in the 465-seat chamber, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday.
Shigeru Ishiba (left) and Keiichi Ishii, secretary of junior ruling coalition partner Komeito, shake hands at the Komeito party’s convention in Tokyo on September 28. Photo: Kyodo
Ishiba’s government already depends on Komeito for a majority in the upper house, and extending that reliance to the more powerful lower house could give the political party a greater say in policymaking.