TOKYO: Japan's ruling coalition is set to lose its parliamentary majority, exit polls for Sunday's (Oct 27) general election showed, raising uncertainty over the make-up of the g
Election officers prepare to count ballots for the general election at a ballot counting centre in Tokyo, Japan on Oct 27, 2024. A poll by Nippon TV showed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party , which has ruled Japan for almost all of its post-war history, and junior coalition partner Komeito would get 198 of the 465 seats in the lower house of Japan 's parliament.
The election comes nine days before voters in the United States - Japan's closest ally - head to the polls in another unpredictable ballot. Ishiba called the snap poll immediately after being elected to head the party last month, hoping to win a public mandate for his premiership. His predecessor, Fumio Kishida, quit after his support cratered due to anger over a cost of living crunch and the scandal involving unrecorded donations to lawmakers.
"Uncertainty over the administration's continuity has increased, and the stock market is likely to react tomorrow with a sell-off, especially among foreign investors."The exit polls suggest smaller parties, such as the Democratic Party for the People or the Japan Innovation Party, could prove key to forming a government.
"The DPP is focussed on ultimately making the country better and ensuring financial resources are allocated more appropriately, so that's why I decided to vote for them," Keisuke Yoshitomi, a 39-year-old office worker, said after casting his vote at a polling station in Tokyo.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Japan votes in election expected to punish PM Ishiba's coalitionTOKYO: Japan's voters decide the fate of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government on Sunday (Oct 27) in an election expected to punish his coalition over a funding scandal and inflation, potentially
Read more »
Commentary: Newly elected and preparing for elections, Japan’s PM Ishiba is already on the defensiveWith an election looming, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has good reason to moderate his stance on divisive national security proposals. But defence is still very much the big picture, says political scientist Yasuo Takao.
Read more »
Japan PM Ishiba vows big spending, drifts away from fiscal restraintJapan's government will draft a package that will exceed the size of last year’s stimulus.
Read more »
Japan's new PM Ishiba unveils cabinet ahead of snap electionTOKYO: Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday (Oct 1) unveiled his cabinet as he seeks to heal party divisions and secure a national mandate with an Oc
Read more »
Japan PM Ishiba says he won't intervene in BOJ's rate policyTOKYO : Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Saturday he would not intervene in monetary policy affairs, as the central bank is mandated to achieve price stability.
Read more »
Japan could have a new PM – again – as Ishiba’s LDP braces for major defeatPreliminary results show the LDP-Komeito coalition will fall short of the 233 seats needed for a majority in the Lower House.
Read more »