Photo : YONHAP News
Japan’s ruling party has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 15 years, dealing a serious blow to new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
According to local media outlets on Monday, the coalition comprising the ruling Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) and the Komeito Party secured just 215 of the lower house’s 465 seats in Sunday’s general election, short of the 233 needed for a majority.
Ahead of the elections, the coalition had a stable majority of 279 seats, while the LDP alone had 247.
The defeat has been attributed to voter discontent over a slush-fund scandal and inflation.
This is the first time since 2009 that the LDP has lost its majority in the lower house of the Diet.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan won 148 seats, up from 98 before the election.